Endless Lazy Days
by ChrysaTea
Summary: Lia falls asleep one night and wakes up to find herself in a world different from hers. Facing the tribulations and trials of living in Amestris, she begins her new life in Resembool. Her slow paced, slice-of-life, life goes on as she finds her place in this new world. Post-manga series. T-rated for language. Intended OCxAl.
1. Hello, my name is-

_Authors Notes: _Hello, everybody. This is my first submission and I hope you will all enjoy. I have not seen this series for a while, but will do my best to keep the details correct. If you see anything that is inconsistent within the story or with the FMA universe, please tell me and give me resources for verification to correct such errors. I will do my best to make sure that it is as accurate as possible. If my character is Mary Sue, please notify me so I can make the according changes!

While this takes place post-manga, some details from the first series (anime 2003) may be seen.

Intended AlxOC. Please comment/critique! All feedback is welcome.

* * *

Sitting at my desk, I looked at my laptop screen. The cold glow, the only source of light, emanated throughout my dark room. I clicked the page, waiting for the next page to load. I tried to blink away my fatigue and rubbed at my eyes. _Just one more chapter,_ I thought lazily. A hazy fog began clouding my mind. _Click_. Reading the next page, I could feel my eyelids refusing to stay open. With a sigh, I began searching through my drawers for my favorite pair of pajamas. I pulled on the faux silk pajama pants and buttoned up the long sleeved shirt. The cool autumn night breezes wafted in from the window. I held my childhood blanket over me as I slid under the warm duvet. Snuggled deeply under my covers, I thought about finishing Fullmetal Alchemist for the third time and let myself fall asleep.

...

Feeling myself approach consciousness, I clutched my blanket tightly. The sweet warmth of sleep still covered me, and I didn't want to wake up; however, my body wouldn't let me sink back into sleep again. I opened my eyes, greeted by an unfamiliar room bathed in dim light. I blinked a couple times then slowly sat up in bed. The scene before me was lit by the early dawn light, the familiar grey carpet now replaced with a honey, wood floor. Eyes wide, I looked around. _Where's my duvet cover? What is this white blanket?... Where is my room?_ I could feel myself slowly becoming panicked with my heart beat slowly growing louder... _Okay, calm down. Think clearly. _

I flipped off the foreign white cover and saw my childhood blanket underneath. I pulled my blanket from underneath and wrapped it around myself. I surveyed the room again. The bed was pushed against the wall with a window, a small night stand by the head of the bed, a small desk with a chair, and a bureau by the back wall; otherwise, the room was bare. I gently tested the floor with my toe and stood on the cold floor. I quietly shuffled towards the door and placed a hand on the handle. _ I don't think anybody is outside… Where am I?_ As silently as I could, the door clicked as I twisted the knob and slowly peered outside. A long hallway with many closed doors was in view. Cautiously, I walked through the hall and walked down the stairs at the end of the hall. Birds twittered outside.

Halfway down the stairs, I heard a baby's cry echo loudly in the house. Muffled voices on the first floor rose. A door opened, and someone shuffled quickly to another room, their voice cooing to calm down the crying child. My heart heart stopped, and I quickly huddled to the floor, still as could be. When the baby's cry was quieting, I sat on the stairs, contemplating where to go. _If I stay here, they'll see me. There's nothing in the room I was in, but I don't know if I want to open the other doors to find a weapon. Even if I go back, I can't be sure that I'll be safe in that room. Okay, I think I should try to make a run for it outside. _Apprehensive, I crept down the stairs when I heard the voices and crying child move deeper into the house.

I made my way into an expansive kitchen when I heard footsteps coming closer. Hastily, I looked around and tried to make my way around a table through an archway into some sort of den. I quickly turned into a new archway when I bumped into a taller, blonde man. I gasped and jumped back. I looked around me and began backing away until I backed into a couch; I scooted around it, still facing the blonde man. His hair was in a ponytail, two bangs framing his face. Golden eyes peered at me. He said something I couldn't understand and looked back into the hallway with the sound of the child, crying once again. Backed into the wall, unable to go further, I stared at him. A woman, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, appeared besides him. She was shorter and carried a child in her arms; a small infant clung to her leg. They looked intently at each other and began speaking in their strange language. The woman passed the children to the man and approached me. She smiled, tucking a stray blonde lock of hair behind her ear. She began speaking to me and approached slowly.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying," I looked around and saw that all entrances were out of my reach.

She looked quizzical and looked back at the man. They talked for a bit. I clutched the blanket more tightly around me, as if it could protect me, and waited. _ I don't think they're going to hurt me. They seem to be a family, but I still have to be careful._ The man and woman walked to a couch and sat down. The woman motioned towards the opposite couch and patted the seat beside her. I slowly walked over to the opposite couch and sat as far as I could away from them. The children tugged at the man and yelped loudly. The man talked with the woman. He scooped up both of the children and walked out of the room. Talking in a calm manner, the woman began motioning something towards me. I looked at her perplexed, and shook my head. She seemed to be attempting to make an effort to talk to me, but I couldn't understand their language at all. I looked around the room and spotted a book with the title "Alchemy". The woman looked at me curiously as I reached for the book on the coffee table. _Their book… it's in English!_ I flipped through the pages and began reading. _I can read it!_ I looked up at her and made a scribbling motion in the air, hoping she'd understand that I was asking for pen and paper.

She held up a hand, index finger out, then walked off. I could hear a faint clinking and the wailing of children. Soon, She came back with a piece of paper and pen which she set in front of me. I picked up the pen and adjusted the paper.

"Hello," I wrote, unsure of how much information to give, "my name is Lia. I can't understand your verbal language, but I can understand your written language. Where am I?" I set the paper and pen down on the table, not wanting to reach across and get too close. A look of surprise crossed her face. She looked up at me and began writing as well.

"Hello. My name is Winry and he's Edward. You're in our home. We found you on our porch last night. Don't worry, we won't hurt you."

I paused at their names. _Edward… Winry? ... Alchemy? That can't be. This has got to be a joke._


	2. New Things

**Chapter 2: New Things**

I sat in a dining chair; Winry and Edward sitting opposite me. The table was strewn about with paper and pens. Ed sleepily fed their children, both sitting on high chairs. The daughter dribbled some of her applesauce down her chin and waved her arms enthusiastically. Their son, much calmer in temperament, rubbed his eyes with his small fists and yawned. The sunlight intensified, its rays beaming across the table.

"Are you ok?" Winry wrote. I nodded. She paused a moment, looking as if she were in thought. "Can you tell us what happened?"

I hesitated. _I just went to bed and woke up here. Found myself in your bed. Yes, totally plausible._ "I don't know how to answer that. Sorry, I don't remember anything." _I can't say that they're all fictional characters in a manga. They wouldn't believe me anyway._ "All I know is that I'm not from here." _It'll be easier this way._

"I see." She turned to Ed and began speaking in a quiet voice. He nodded; his eyes half closed. She turned back to me as my stomach grumbled, "You must be hungry. I'm making breakfast." She patted Ed's shoulder and walked briskly to the kitchen. Embarrassed, I sank deeper into my chair and drew in my blanket tighter around me.

The sound of pans hitting the stove was accompanied by a wonderful smell of eggs. A silence settled between Ed and me. He picked up the paper Winry had just written on and read our conversation over. After picking up a pen, he scribbled something and passed it to me. "So what are you going to do?"

"No clue."

Ed stared at the paper for a while and scratched his head. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. After coming to a conclusion, he opened his eyes and began writing once more. "You can stay here. We'll help you out until you remember something or if someone comes for you. It'll work out."

His daughter began clapping her hands wildly and made yipping sounds. Her cheerful, loud morning wake-up call was quite the sight, and their son began clapping and yipping as well. Resting his elbows on the table, Ed smiled fondly at them. Winry called out from the kitchen to Ed. He responded and began straightening the papers and pens on the table. Ed left the table and returned with cutlery. He set a knife and fork in front of me, himself, and Winry's seat. Winry returned with a plate in each hand with toast, eggs, and bacon. She gently set the plates down in front of Ed and me, and went back into the kitchen. _  
_

I reached over to a stack of papers and grabbed a pen and sheet. In large print, "Thank you, Winry. It looks good." She came back in with her plate and sat down. _Oh._ I quickly added an addendum "And thank you for letting me stay the night." I held up the paper in front of my face, eyes peering above the edge. She smiled and said something, probably in return for my thanks. She turned to Ed, who began discussing something. He took a forkful of eggs into his mouth and continued talking. Winry seemed to scold him and took a forkful of eggs herself. Their daughter yelled for attention, and Winry took a cloth to wipe the applesauce from her chin. _Family, huh._

I picked up the fork. With its cool, metal frame in my hand, I scooped up the steaming scrambled eggs. The smell of eggs filled up my nose again. Slightly wet, the scrambled eggs tasted slightly salty with a hint of spice. I used the edge of the fork to break the cooked slice of bacon into bite sized pieces. Its crunchy, salty taste was muted by the eggs. _  
_

I glanced up from my plate, but mostly focused on eating in an attempt not to stare as I was earlier. It was a bit awkward, not being able to talk at all. A barrier was placed between us as strangers, as people who couldn't talk, and as those from different worlds. Ed had taken their son out of his high chair and was bouncing their son on his lap, holding him firmly with one arm. They seemed happy with smiles on their faces. _... I wonder how my family is... _Everything felt like a blur.

…

Ed had left with children to another room, but I could still hear their voices from down the hall. Winry handed me a bound notebook and pen and sat beside me at the dining table. Pen in hand, she began writing.

"Your clothes are a little dirty from the porch last night. Would you like a change of clothes?"

I looked down at my pajamas. I hadn't noticed before, but some dirt had been smeared down the front of my shirt and on my pant legs. They weren't too dirty, but definitely note clean. My blanket hadn't come out too clean either. I pulled the notebook open, its new spine creaked. "Yes, please."

"Follow me." Winry stood up and made her way to the stairs. With quick steps, I trailed behind her. She walked into the hall on the first floor and walked into a bedroom. Unsure of whether or not to enter, I stood by the doorway. She stood to the side of the door frame and waved her arm towards the room, inviting me in the room. After rummaging through a bureau, she turned to me and handed me a bundle of clothes. Gently taking the notebook and pen from me, she wrote, "I'll be outside. Ask me if you need any help." She set down the notebook and pen down on their bed then closed the door as she left the room.

I set down the clothes on their bed. Taking the blanket off me, I realized how chilly the morning air was. I dressed myself in the new clothes, shedding myself of the warm, familiar comfort of my pajamas, and folded them up. _I know I said I wanted to change my clothes, but it feels like I'm losing an important part of me._ Her clothes hung slightly loosely off of me and were a bit too long. Not wanting to take too long, I took my blanket, pajamas, notebook and pen and left the room. Winry was walking back with another notebook and pen. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it and began writing instead. "Those clothes look a loose on you. We'll have to get some for you then."

Fumbling with my clothes, I managed to open the notebook and use the wall as a surface. "No, thank you for letting me borrow these clothes. They fit me fine." I gave her a smile for reassurance.

After a little thought, Winry began writing, "I'll wash those for you."

I gave a small nod. With a smile, Winry held out her hands. I reluctantly gave her my clothes, but kept my blanket. _They're my clothes, but as long as I have my blanket... I need something, anything grounding to reality, to home. I don't care how dirty it is..._ She nodded her head towards the dining area and began walking. She went into a room, setting the clothes in a basket, and entered another room. Ed spoke with her for a while and handed their daughter to Winry. He gave me a nod as Winry slowly walked to the dining room with some toys, their son tottering around her, and closed the door behind her.

She set their daughter and son in their respective high chairs, and took a seat of her own. She gestured for me to have a seat.

"Could you tell me where I am?" I asked. Winry handed two toys each to her children.

"Resembool. Can you really not remember anything?"

"No." _This chair is hard_.

"Like Ed said, we'll help you out until" Her daughter had thrown her toys down to the floor and looked as if she was about to cry. Winry picked her up and began soothing her just as her daughter began crying loudly. Her son banged the toys, one in each hand, against his chair. A stinky smell reached me. With her daughter in one arm, Winry wrote an apology, "excuse me." She picked up her son, toys still in tow, with her other arm and walked off.

I stared at the table. Everything felt foreign. As I adjusted myself in the seat, I could feel the fabric of Winry's clothes against my skin. Gingerly, I touched the table top. _This is real._ A moment passed, then another. A feeling of dread began to fill me up. The dead weight fell in the pit of my stomach as I began to grasp the situation. The room suddenly dropped ten degrees. _Am I stuck here?_ My heart began sinking heavily. _Is this really happening?_ I realized it before. I knew what had happened, but I didn't realize what that meant. I grabbed my blanket that had been resting on my lap tightly. Bringing it to my chest, I hugged it tightly. A faint, peculiar smell from it, a smell that contrasted with the crisp, clean air. _It smells like home. _It felt as if a little weight had lifted. _Will I never be able to see them again?_ I looked out the window, the sun straight in my eyes. My feet felt cold and frozen.

I dug my fingers deeply into the thin blanket. Birds chirped. A brown dog hair stood out against the white patch in the blanket. The blanket's design had a cartoon of a baby sitting next to a cow. Tiny happy mice adorned the rest of the cloth. _I have to make sure. I need to know._ The chair legs scraped against the floor as I stood up. I walked into the archway opposite the hallway and found a foyer. My hand held the metal doorknob and slowly twisted it. I held my breath as the door swung open. Rolling hills met my gaze. Their lush green was spotted with buildings, and a town center could be seen. A dirt path yawned outwards from the door. I stepped onto the cement step outside of the door. It gently scraped against my feet. The wind blew gently. The sun shined brightly. _It's real. I'm not home anymore._ I gulped down my tears. This wasn't the time. I heard a tree rustling in the wind. To my right, a swing hung from a thick tree; to my left, a brick wall stood erect, no more than seven feet. In one night, I had lost everything. _My home. My life. My family. My friends. _Suddenly, I felt all alone. The big, blue sky seemed endless yet suffocating. The rolling hills dusted with dew felt empty. Everything felt empty.

I heard Winry calling, snapping me out of my thoughts. My hands were balled into tight fists, folds of the blanket in their tight grip, showing the whites of my knuckles. I took a deep breath and loosed my grip. She called again and found me standing outside. With a look of concern, she ushered me in and closed the door behind me. We walked back to the dining area together. She sat down and wrote in a notebook. "I'm sorry. They can be fussy. I put them down for a nap. Why were you outside?" There was a look of concern on her face.

"I needed fresh air," I lied. I thought about the children. Their bright and carefree smiles reminded me of my cousin. Brandon should be almost two soon. "What are their names?"

Winry beamed. "Michael and Clara."

"They're very cute."

"Thank you," she smiled. I could see how Clara's blue eyes and blonde hair resembled her mother's while Michael's golden hair and eyes resembled his father's. She looked up at me. "It's a bit hard writing all the time, isn't it?"

"It is a little bit."

"Would you like to learn Amestrian?"

"That's much easier than always writing." I felt my mouth move into a smile, but I couldn't feel anything.

"I think so too."

"First, we'll begin with how individual letters sound." She wrote a large letter A in her notebook and held it up for me and the children to see.

I flipped to the back of my notebook and wrote the alphabet. She pronounced the letter, and I wrote down what I thought it sounded like. "A – ah. (Hah)". When I looked up, she had scribbled a note for me. "I'd like for you to try saying it too."_This is like being in preschool all over again._ Apprehensive, I opened my mouth and made a soft, hoarse "ah". Not having spoken much, my voice was tired. I tried again, a stronger "ah" this time. Winry nodded and smiled.

This continued for the rest of the alphabet, and we reviewed the alphabet once again after having gone through all of the thoroughly. By the time we had reviewed the alphabet, it was noon. Winry excused herself. Winry returned to the table with Michael and Clara while Ed made lunch. When lunch ended, Ed took the children off into another room, and Winry continued to teach me about Amestrian. I asked her about sounds that would accompany "th", "ch", and anything else I could think of. I asked her how to say simple, commonly used words as well, such as "yes", "no", and "thank you". She even taught me how to say her name, my name, and Ed's as well.

She thought it'd be best to learn from hearing words accompanied with their spelling and found a children's book with other simple words. Slowly, and with a finger with each word she read, she went through the book, pausing whenever I would frantically write down my own interpretation of the pronunciation.

By dinner time, we had finished the book. The sky was beginning to change from blue to a brilliant golden yellow. After dinner, Winry and Ed left me to practice in my room and went to do chores. Before leaving, they had changed the bed sheets and blanket that I had dirtied with my dusty pajamas. I opened my mouth to speak and garbled a "sank yo", mispronouncing the Amestrian way to say "thank you".

The room was silent when they left. I looked over my new list until Ed came back with my pajamas and blanket, fresh and clean. "Thank you for bringing these to me."

He held the same notebook Winry had. "No problem." From his back pocket, he picked up a small bag. I opened the bag and saw a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. "Do you know what these are?"

"It's a toothbrush and toothpaste. I know how to use them."

"There's a bathroom across the hall. If you need anything, we'll be downstairs." He was turning to leave before I stopped him.

"Wait!" I said. I wrote furiously, "Ed, that Alchemy book on the table, is it yours?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"When I can talk, could you tell me more about it?"

Ed raised his eyebrows curiously. "Sure, I can do that."

"Thank you. I'd really like that. Goodnight. Please tell Winry 'goodnight' too." _I should learn that later._

"Goodnight."

As he left, I noticed his automail foot peeking from beneath his left pant leg. It made a subtle _clunk_ that I hadn't noticed before. _Wow. That's _real_ automail._ I looked out the window. The stars shined brightly, something unfamiliar in a city brightened sky. I left the bag on the nightstand and took the toothbrush and toothpaste with me to the bathroom. Mindlessly, I uncapped the toothpaste and squeezed a drop onto the toothbrush. I wet the toothbrush and stuck it in my mouth. The toothpaste had a minty taste. I finished brushing my teeth and spit into the sink.

…

Wrapped in my blanket, I sat on the bed and looked out the window. The blanket and pajamas smelled clean but nothing like home. I ripped out a page in the notebook and began writing under the moonlight. _Day 1: I met Ed and Winry today. They have two children. I know this is after the manga ended. They're nice but different than how I imagined them. Winry taught me how to speak today. _ I looked at the nightstand, a simple table with a single drawer, and placed the paper and bag inside it with the bag on top.

Under the covers, I looked out the window. The stars shined brightly, twinkling in the distance.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I sincerely hope that you are enjoying my story.

In response to SpenstarianCreed1, I'd like to address the use of this type of plot. I've always wanted to write a story with this plot despite the fact. I'm grateful for those willing to read it, even though it is not to everyone's taste.

Please feel free to comment, critique, message, etc. Feedback is greatly appreciated!


	3. Dream

**Chapter 3: Dream**

_A white light. I walked in a seemingly endless place filled with white light. My feet paced the floor. Something pulled me forward, my feet moving faster. Faster and faster, I ran until my legs gave out. I sat on the floor, resting, when someone came into view. A girl, who looked like me, dressed in a blue uniform with white trim, knelt down and offered her hand._

_ "Who are you?" I asked._

_ She shook her head solemnly and held her hand further. I put my hand in hers, and she helped me stand. I saw her mouth move, but I heard no sound. I couldn't read her lips either._

_ "I can't hear you."_

_ She pointed to her ears and shook her head once more. "No." She mouthed. _I recognize that mouth shape… She's speaking Amestrian. _Yanking my hand away, I took a step from her._

_ "Look, I don't know who you are. I do-"_

_ A large thunderous sound rang throughout the expanse with a deafening roar. I covered my ears with my hands and looked around. The ground shook. As suddenly as it had come, it ended. Cautiously, I put down my hands. The other girl, a grim look on her face, was staring at something behind me. I turned slowly, fearful._

* * *

Author's Note: I apologize for the short chapter. Certain circumstances had arisen.

Please feel free to comment/critique! Feedback is greatly appreciated.


	4. Resembool and Alchemy

**Chapter 4: Resembool and Alchemy**

Blinking away my sleepiness, I woke up groggy. A hazy memory of a figure stayed in my mind, but my dream had already escaped me. I looked out the window. The sun shone brightly in the clear sky, dotted with clouds. Two blue jays fluttered to the roof from the ground. I love birds. I had a bird as a child, but it died due to improper care. _Third graders aren't the best at pet care sometimes._ Sitting on the edge of the bed, I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to clear my mind. Taking off my pajamas, I put on Winry's clothes, a white t-shirt and loose, black pants that were tightened at the waist with a string. A knock came from the door. I picked up my blanket from the floor and set it on the bed beside the pajamas. _It must've fallen during the night._ I found my pen and notebook and walked out the door.

"Yus?" I asked, still unfamiliar with Amestrian pronunciation.

"Lia, good morning," Winry smiled as she held up her notebook which read "good morning". _So that's how you say it._ From that point on, whenever she resorted to her notebook, she'd say what she'd written for me.

I felt out the phrase in my mouth and slowly mouthed a "Gad moaning."

She invited me down to breakfast, and we walked to the kitchen. Ed and the children was nowhere in sight, but I could hear his voice from outside. There was a plate already set for me had a stack pancakes, a pad of butter sitting atop the pile, dripping with golden brown syrup. A tall glass of milk stood by the plate. Winry sat opposite me and began writing. I picked up a fork and poked at the pancakes. _A bit too much syrup._

She talked slowly and showed me her writing. "You didn't have any other clothes when we found you. We'll go shopping today."

She was right. I really didn't have any clothes other than my pajamas. _I don't have shoes either_, I thought, wiggling my chilled toes. "Sonds fan."

"Sounds fun?" She said while holding up the notebook.

"Y…Yes. Sounds… fun," I carefully picked at my words. I used my fork to saw into the stack of pancakes. Spearing the piece I cut, I dabbed the bottom pancake with some syrup and ate. The syrup overpowered the moist pancakes a bit. I looked up at her and saw her watching me. I wrote "It's yummy."

She looked confused. "Yummy?" She responded with her notebook.

_I should have realized. It's not like Amestris would have the same words we use. _"It's delicious," I corrected myself, crossing out my previous sentence.

She nodded her head in understanding. "I'll be outside. Come out when you're done. You can leave the dishes on the table." She left the note on the table and left. I heard a high shriek near the window and saw a golden head bob up and down.

I didn't want to make Winry wait too long, so I tried to hurry. A dry chunk of pancake had caught in my throat. I coughed violently and reached for the milk. Downing the milk helped. Rather than trying to hurry, I took my time. I saw Michael riding on Ed's shoulders from the kitchen window. I moved the pad of butter over the rest of the pancakes. It had half melted, so I really only smeared it. The sweet taste complimented the cool milk perfectly. After finishing the food, I saw that the plate was covered in the sticky syrup. It didn't feel right to leave the plate, so I put the plate in the kitchen sink, making sure to run some water over the plate. Pen and notebook in hand, I made my way to the front door which was left open. As I walked out, the smell of fresh grass filled my nose.

"Wenry," I called quietly, clutching my notebook to my chest. Ed was further down the path with Michael and Clara. "Wenry?" I called a bit louder this time, embarrassed with my pronunciation. Winry came from the direction of the tree with the swing. She rubbed her hands on a towel blackened with oil.

She walked up to me holding another pair of boots and set them down on the cement porch in front of me. "Wait." She held out her hand, index finger out, and went into the house. I slid my feet into the boots which were a size too big for me. Their rubber had been scratched and worn, deep brown patches staining the black boots. She came back with a small bag slung on one shoulder. "Ready?" She held up the notebook and pronounced it carefully for me.

"Um," I hesitated, "yes". I stretched the word, making sure to say it as best I could.

Winry walked ahead of me. I watched as her ponytail swung back and forth. She looked back and slowed down for me to walk beside her. My feet were slipping inside the boots with my toes scrunched up in an attempt to keep the boots from slipping off. She looked at the boots falling a bit with each step and walked comfortably along my pace. A little ways off the path, Michael was rolling in the lush grass as Clara sat and watched. Ed called to Winry. She gave a small wave, so I followed in her example. He set Clara in his lap and waved her arm towards us.

"Bye," he grinned.

Michael sat up and waved both arms enthusiastically in the air. "Bee! Bee!"

Winry smiled and looked up at the sky.

Birds flew above and disappeared into a cloud. The gravel crunched under the scraping of the boots. A red farm building stood fifty feet away to our left, a gravel path leading up to its steps. Sheep bleated, calling from across a white fence, with a musty scent coming from them. Two brown Labradors sat, watching a litter of puppies sniff around a flower bed. An elderly man emerged from the house. He walked with a slight hunch towards the puppies.

"Good morning," Winry greeted and waved.

He looked up in surprise, a smile spread on his wrinkled face. "Ah, good morning, Winry…" He said a couple words that I couldn't pick up.

Winry responded. I listened intently and heard my name. He waved towards me and I returned the gesture. We continued our trip in silence towards the town. The crisp air filled me. Something tickled my nose and I sneezed. Though beautiful, the grass, trees, and flowers produced quite a bit of allergens. The gentle sun beat down, accompanied with a constant sweet breeze.

A small town, a modest place filled with small buildings and some stalls, came into view. Winry hummed a tune, it sounded familiar. _It sounds like… Hush, Little Baby?_ I listened closely. It was. I began to hum quietly in harmony. She looked at me in surprise, so I stopped humming. We paused for a bit and stared at each other. We both laughed and began walking again, humming once again. The side of the boot rubbed uncomfortably against my toes, and I could tell that they were becoming raw. I tried to ignore the pain and focused on walking and humming.

Trees along the path that we walked swayed in the breeze. Finally, we reached the town's edge. It bustled lazily with few people. Most buildings were wooden; some, brick. I looked in awe, but my feet ached. Winry navigated through the streets of the small town center. Each step I took was a reminder of my feet. We walked straight, took a left, took a right, and walked into the first building on our left. "Lyla's Clothing" was a wooden building, similar in size with the other buildings, with two windows sandwiching a hunter green door. A bell tinkled lightly as we entered. Brunette hair cascading to her waist, a woman, probably Lyla, wearing a green dress sat at a counter. The walls were lined shelves stacked with clothes, racks of clothing stood erect, and to the side was a stall and partition. At the end of the room was a door with a sign that read "Employees Only" and a small clock that read 10:30. Lyla, probably, looked up from a book. Winry walked up to the counter and began talking with her. After a while, the woman disappeared into the backroom. Winry took out her notebook. "Lyla will help us find some clothes for you. She specializes in women's clothing." Lyla came back with a measuring tape. She muttered something under her breath as she guided me deeper into the store. With quick hands, she took my measurements.

Winry left my side and began perusing the racks. She looked carefully at the clothing and back at me. Lyla pointed at a cushioned bench by the window and turned. Relieved, I took a seat and took off the shoes to inspect my feet. My little toes and side of my feet were pink with rawness. I rubbed them gingerly; my feet stung when touched, so I left them alone. Cool air caressed my when out of the hot boots. I watched as Winry and Lyla would occasionally come back with clothes, hold them up against me, and either set them on the bench or put them back. By the time they had finished, a large stack had formed.

"Let's try on the clothes. Layla can help." Winry noticed that I had taken off my boots and my feet. "You don't need to wear the boots or worry about money either." I handed her my notebook and pen and she led me to the stall with the partition. My feet felt the grooves and wooden panels of the floor.

The stall was small with a bench. A long mirror hung on the door. Lyla handed me a short sleeved white sundress cinched at my waist with a bow in the back. I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. It didn't seem to suit me, but I couldn't take it off without showing them first. Lyla nodded as she looked me up and down, her hazel eyes twinkled with excitement. "Very cute," Winry wrote. The next outfit was a set of sweats. This continued on with clothing suitable for all different types of occasions. I didn't feel comfortable in many of the outfits, but it always had been difficult for me to find clothes that I liked and fit me well. Shopping took many hours with me.

"Are there any you like?" Winry asked. Lyla was not in sight.

I looked at the large stack back in the dressing room. Winry looked at me expectantly. Feeling slightly guilty, I picked some clothes that I liked, for the most part, and handed them to her. _I can't pick so many clothes since she's buying them for me. If I don't pick some clothes she picked, she might be disappointed. I don't have the heart to tell her that I don't like them too much. _I chewed in the inside of my lip, thinking about not wanting to trouble her further and take up more time by trying more things. This part I always hated about myself since I wasn't assertive in getting what I really wanted. Old habits die hard. _I guess it couldn't hurt to wear different things._ Winry looked satisfied with herself when she saw that I had chosen the sundress along with some other items that she had picked for me.

Lyla came back two bags, one empty and one filled with more clothing. She gave me the bag filled with clothes and collected the clothes I picked out and clothes I had rejected. Winry spoke with her briefly then wrote something to me. "Try those on. We'll take whichever ones you pick. You don't have to show us." I didn't understand what Winry meant, but nodded and went back into the stall anyway. Looking through the contents of the bag, I'd realized what she meant. Brassieres and panties filled the bag. I picked out a beige bra and looked at it. Surprisingly, it was very standard to normal bras with hooks in the back and adjustable straps. They fit me pretty well, though some were a bit tight or loose. The panties looked like they'd fit, but I tried them, still wearing my panties. The ill fitting underwear was left on the bench while the rest was put back into the bag. There were some socks and pantyhose as well that I left in the bag.

I came out of the dressing room and handed Winry the bag, the rest of the underwear in my arms. Lyla took them from me and walked into the back door, where the clock now read 12:20. I'm not sure what expression I wore, but I could feel my cheeks slightly burning. Winry smiled at me and took the bags to the counter. Lyla looked through the clothes and totaled up the price. I slipped my feet back into the boots, my toes smarting a little. Winry handed her a note with a sum written on it, thanked her, and walked out the store. Lyla smiled kindly and held up a sign, "Thank you. Come again." _Winry must've told her about me._

Winry handed me the bag filled with underwear. I reached for the other bag, but she held it further from me. Her notebook had "It's fine. Let's eat," scrawled in it. We walked to a stall, "Auntie's", which had a wonderful savory aroma. Chairs and tables were littered around the stall. An old woman with an apron and bandana covering her hair fried balls of something covered in bread crumbs. Winry held up two fingers, ordered for us, paid, and then took a seat at one of the round wooden tables. The little old woman gave us two bowls filled with those fried balls, two glasses of water, and napkins. They were about the size of our palms and were cut into halves. We had gotten 3 balls each. Winry used her hands to eat, so I picked up a half and looked at the steaming contents, some mixture of corn, potatoes, and meat. The thin, crisp bread crust had a slight crunch. It took me a moment to realize that they were croquettes. I took a sip of water to cool my burning tongue from the hot croquettes.

Crumbs fell on the table as I ate. I always was kind of a messy eater. Even though the croquettes were fried, they didn't taste oily at all. The potatoes held the meat and corn together in a moist, but not soggy, delicious clump. Sweet corn punctuated the taste of savory potatoes and meat. My stomach was filling quickly, and I felt so full after eating the three croquettes. I wiped my hands on the napkin and dusted off the golden crumbs from my lap. I motioned as if I were writing in the air with a pen. Winry understood and handed back my notebook and pen.

"So delicious," I wrote.

"They're the best in Resembool," Winry told me.

"No wonder."

We sat and enjoyed the breeze for a while. The elderly man we saw on the red farm with the sheep walked by with one of the brown Labradors. It sniffed at me curiously and licked at my hands. He laughed and said something to me. Winry interjected and began explaining something, talking with her hands. He bent down and used Winry's notebook. "Very nice to meet you." His dog rested its head on my lap and up at me with its chocolate eyes.

"You, too," I said shyly.

He patted his dog on the head and walked off, the dog trailing behind him.

"We're going to buy shoes next." Winry told me. I put away my notebook into the bag I held.

She led me to another store deeper in the town. A pale yellow sign hung from the roof by hinges that read "Shoemaker". _Shoes. _I smiled to myself. _I never thought I'd be so happy to be in a shoe store._ We entered the blue building that smelled of fresh paint. A handsome young man was hard at work at a work bench with a knife in his hand and rubber in the other. He swept his two long blonde bangs, which framed his face, up with his hand, revealing grey-blue eyes. The bangs fell gently down again. A younger boy bounded up to us.

"Welcome!" He said energetically.

"Hi," I said, taken aback by his upbeat attitude.

"Hi, Fletcher," Winry responded. "Hello, Russell." She said with a nod towards him and began speaking with Fletcher quickly. _Russell and Fletcher? From the anime? The look like them, but… isn't this the manga timeline? I guess they still exist, just not in the same circumstances._

Fletcher enthusiastically nodded along with her conversation, a bright smile on his face. Their conversation finished, and he looked at my feet. After a while, he walked off to one of the many shelves of the store. Benches rested against the ends of each of the tall shelves. Fletcher stood on his toes to grab a pair. He groaned a bit, stretching his arm as far as he could, but pushed the shoes further out of his reach. Exasperated, he moved the bench and used it to grab the shoes.

The shoes were very practical, but also looked stylish. The first pair that Fletcher had chosen for me was too large. I tried on many shoes and walked around the store to test them. They felt wonderful to wear, much better than Winry's boots which were too large, but my feet still stung with pain. We found more shoes for me to try on.

I picked simple black boots that were sturdy. They were leather with a zipper on the sides that ended midway up my calf. The soles on the bottom of the boots had an engraving of "J&F". Winry insisted that I have another pair of shoes and chose a pair of cream white flats with white edges and a black bow for me. For a pair of flats, the shoes were soft and conformed to my feet. "I'll have these." I wrote to Winry, pointing to the flats and boots. She called to Fletcher and took the two pairs to him. Russell, who hadn't strayed from his work table, came up to me. About as tall as Ed, he looked down at my feet that I kept out of the boots. He knelt down to take a closer look. I felt self conscious and tried to hide them beneath the long pant legs Winry let me borrow. He asked me a question. Still unfamiliar with Amestrian, I tried to remember what Winry had taught me.

"Sorry, I… dun't speck Emastrane."

He seemed to understand me and didn't say more. After a while of inspecting my feet, he left and returned with a roll of cloth. He pointed to a bench. "Sit." His tone was demanding, so I sat. _Even back then, I'd do what people asked of me, _I thought to myself bitterly. _Why can't I stand up for myself?_ Something inside me always did as people told without thought, wanting to please people, and I sometimes was made a fool because of it. He looked eyed me coldly and suddenly took my foot. I yanked my foot back, but he had a firm grip. It didn't seem like he'd let go, so I stopped resisting and glared at him. He took the roll of cloth and wrapped it around the length of my foot, finishing it with a knot by my ankle. _If that's all he wanted to do, he didn't have to do it like that._

"Sanks," I grumbled.

He said something in response and stood up to leave. Winry was surprised to find that Russell had helped bandage my feet. He mentioned something to her casually, and her eyes immediately brightened. She squealed in excitement and hurriedly wrote something to me. "Put on the shoes and let's go." She shoved the flats at me and was already making her way towards the door with the two bags of clothing and shoes as if they weighed next to nothing. I hastily stood up and slipped on the flats with the help of my fingers. She was already out the door. Holding my bag of underwear and her old boots, I had to chase her down. She looked back at me to see if I was still behind her, but continued at her same speed. I ran behind her until I bumped into her, nearly falling back. Winry's eyes twinkled as she looked through a window of a smaller building, "Steel Strength Co." painted in bright red on its walls. I gazed into the window and saw a sign, "New S-49 Model Out!"

"Ah," she said in awe. She jumped up and down in glee and hurried into the store.

_I should have known. Only one thing could get Winry this excited_. Leaving the bags by the door, Winry was looking intently at a shiny object in a glass case. A man with a thick mustache was talking to her, and she was extremely excited. Knowing that Winry's conversation might take a while, I looked around a couple shelves and tables, all filled with automail. There were arms and legs of various sizes were all over the place. Most of the price tags read around 500,000 cenz. _I wonder how much that is._ The metal shined brilliantly in the sunlight, no matter what shade the metal was. I saw a couple of hands and feet for sale as well. The man had opened up the glass case for Winry to closely investigate. An arm caught my attention. The attention to detail was quite amazing. I could see every groove painstakingly taken into consideration; the joints and nerves were cleanly made. Looking around at each item carefully, I walked around the store.

Winry glanced up with me and made eye contact. She blushed sheepishly, composing herself. "Excuse me, I'll be done soon."

"Ok." I said. I looked at the arm as well.

The man had a little potbelly and wore an apron spattered with oil. He smiled proudly and discussed the automail almost as enthusiastically as Winry. The man picked up the arm and moved its wrist. It moved without a peep and had a natural movement. It was kind of weird seeing a prosthetic arm. He twisted and turned its joints to show the flexibility of the arm. Winry sighed happily and talked with him for a while longer. I found a small watch stand to the back of the store. Many had leather straps with blank faces and tick marks for the minutes and hours. Some bulky silver and gold colored watches were locked in a glass case. A watch with thin, reddish brown leather strips and a small golden face caught my attention. I set down Winry's boots and my bag down by the table; I held the watch and felt the soft leather between my fingers. My fingers brushed the face of the clock, smudging the smooth clock face.

"Oh," Winry said, peering over my shoulder.

I jumped a little and turned around, nearly hitting Winry with the watch clasped in my hands. She took the watch from my hand and turned to the man, probably asking for the price. He shook his head and pointed to a small sign on the table I had missed. _1200 cenz._ Winry fished out a small cloth bag out and handed him four silver coins, two about as wide as an inch and two slightly smaller coins. He counted the coins and nodded. Winry pulled out her notebook. "Sorry about that. We'll go home now." She handed me the watch, and I looped it around my left wrist. Winry picked up her boots and put it in with the other new pair of shoes she bought for me.

The man came back with a large cardboard box with an arrow pointing upwards and the word "Fragile" underneath it. With a smile, Winry handed me the bags she was carrying and took the box from the man.

…

The sun began setting on our walk back. Winry hummed quite happily, walking with pep in her step. I hummed along with her. We were only halfway back, but my arms were already becoming tired. I silently cursed my weak arms and shifted one of the bags to my less tired arm. A yellow glow had settled upon the landscape. The grass, no longer glistening with dew, sent long shadows along our path. Slightly open, small yellow flower buds peaked out in the grass. Their tender petals sometimes blew away when a strong wind came. A few dandelions grew between the flower buds, fully grown.

I was able to take a better look at their house. It was white with a green roof, a small chimney poked out from the right. A white fence stood in front of the house. A little lamp hung by a green door to the left of the house. Three rectangular windows, two on the top, and one to the right of the front door, had green sills. The right top window had a small flower bed. The tall, sturdy oak tree to the left of the house was flushed with leaves, slowly turning brown. In the back of the house, one of its rooms jutted out to our left.

We walked into the living room where I saw Michael and Clara sleeping peacefully on top of Ed, who was lying down on of the couches. His eyes were closed, his chest heaving when he breathed. Winry set down the box and wrote me a message. "You can go up and put away those clothes. Let's cook dinner together."

Looking forward to relieving my arms of the heavy bags, I quickly walked up the stairs to my room. I set the bags down by the bureau. I set the new boots by the door and took Winry's old shoes and my notebook with me back downstairs.

Winry was already in the kitchen. She noticed that I was holding her boots and took them from me. A cutting board with vegetables was set on the counter. I waited in the kitchen until Winry had come back from putting away the boots. She picked up her notebook. "Tonight, we're making stew. Let's wash our hands first." She went to the sink and ran her hands under a stream of water with a bar of white soap. I washed my hands.

"Help me cut some vegetables. Do you know how to?" She asked. "First, I'll show you. They're already washed. Ask if you have questions."

I nodded my head. She took a knife from a drawer and began dicing some carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomatoes. After cutting some of each vegetable, she set down the knife and put a large pot on the stove. I cut the vegetables into pieces as Winry had. There were many vegetables, so this took a while. Meanwhile, Winry turned on the gas stove and poured in some liquids, one of which was milk. She cut up and put in chunks of meat in the pot, then stirred the pot with a wooden spoon. She checked up on as I diced the last of the carrots. She took the cutting board and dropped all of the vegetables into the stew.

"It will be ready in half an hour," Winry notified me. "I'll call you for dinner."

"Okay, sank you." I said. I checked my new watch. _5:30._

I went back up to my room and took the clothes out of the bags. The bureau's height ended at my chest. I opened the drawers to see if there was anything inside them, but there wasn't anything. I folded all the clothes and set them on my bed, then filled the drawers with them. Winry had bought me quite a bit of clothing, enough clothing to fill up two drawers. I organized a drawer for underwear and nightwear; the other drawers, by pants, shirts, jackets, and dresses.

I took my notebook out of the underwear bag and ripped out a page and began writing. _Day 2: I went to town with Winry. She bought me clothes, shoes, and a watch. I should pay them back._ I put this in the drawer with the other note from the previous day in the nightstand. In my mind, I could see the mall I went to the most. My friends, mom, or siblings would give me their opinions on what I wore. I picked up my blanket from the bed and smelled it. Dog hairs randomly clung to the blanket. Loopy would always jump onto me when I was lying on the couch. She always barked and wagged her tail whenever I came home. A small Chihuahua mix, she was quite the hyper little puppy.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I took off the flats. For flats, they were very comfortable for walking long distances in. I looked at my bandaged feet. It's the moments when you're not busy, when you're by yourself, that you reminisce. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. I lied down and looked out the window._ I'll close my eyes, only for a moment._

…

A hand was gently shaking my shoulder. My eyes fluttered open. Winry told me that dinner was ready. I followed behind her to the dining room. Ed, Michael, and Clara sat, waiting for me. Three bowls of steaming stew and two milk bottles were on the table.

"You waited for me?" I wrote to them after taking a seat.

"Of course. We can't start until everybody's here," Winry smiled. "It's more fun to eat with everybody else."

I bit my lip. I wasn't used to having a sit down dinner. Normally, everybody would eat whenever they wanted, so my family and I would occasionally have some meals together.

"Sa… Thank you." I said correctly.

Ed and Winry held their hands together. "Thank you for the meal," they said. Winry told me later that it was something that people do before eating. It would be a while before I was accustomed to Amestrian culture.

We had dinner. Ed happily ate the stew and asked for seconds. Michael and Clara held onto their bottles and fed hungrily. I could understand a few of the words during Winry and Ed's conversation. "Shoes… automail." I heard something that sounded like "sens" and thought about the sign at the automail shop. _500,000 cenz._ The stew was delicious with hearty chunks of meat. The vegetables were flavorful. I wasn't used to having so many vegetables, but I tried to eat them all. When Clara had finished, Winry picked her up to burp her. She bounced Clara in her arms and patted her back. During the course of dinner, I had learned how to pronounce "Clara" and "Michael". They didn't seem to pay me any mind when I was around.

"Help me with the dishes. You're going to learn how to wash them." Ed wrote. I was surprised, since he hadn't talked to me much since I got here.

I helped Ed carry the bowls and bottles to the kitchen sink. Winry took Michael and Clara down the hall. Ed unscrewed the bottles' caps and rinsed them under the sink. My eyes wandered to his automail foot, but I tried to remember how he was washing the dishes. He took out Winry's notebook. "You got that?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Good," he said, without writing. He scribbled in the notebook, "So you want to learn Alchemy?"

I nodded.

"Follow me."

He led me into the room where Winry had talked to him. There were bookshelves filled with books. A solitary desk with papers littered the table. He walked to the furthest shelf and looked. After a moment, he picked out a thick, green volume with red trim and handed it to me. He wrote a message to me. "This is a book with basics of alchemy. When you finish it, talk to me." I looked at him in disbelief. It would take me days to finish this book! I thanked him and left. I've been doing an awful lot of thanking recently. I couldn't wait for the moment where I could start saying other things.

I sat in my room. The sun was setting, creating an orange, purple glow as the night sky appeared. The volume was heavy. I flipped on the switch by the door to turn on a light that hung from the ceiling and began reading. The pages were frayed and yellowed with age, its wear and tear showing evidence that it had been read many times before. The small print swam before my eyes. Expecting transmutation circles as I first began reading, I was disappointed to read the title of the first chapter. "_Introduction to Alchemic Symbolism"_.

_To understand the foundations of anything, one must know the base of all things. To rigidly define is to err. Take into consideration of what lies around, and not trust only what one knows. Rush not your ideals unto them, but live within their hearts and see through knowing eyes. They're but not one single in a whole, they're part a part of a whole. Understand that one piece, understand that it cannot be changed. Do not exact, but see through wise eyes. Find in oneself, the patience not to hurry, to err. Cultivate in oneself the knowledge of truth._

_ This drama within the signs, the theatre, the story, take it all without isolating those. Undo this process by undoing your ways that err. See the whole, see the piece, see truth._

Underneath the text were symbols of triangles, lines, circles, geometric shapes on crosses. "_The Four Elements. The Three principles." Earth: Cold and dry. Melancholic. Water: Cold and wet. Phlegmatic. Air: Hot and Wet. Sanguine. Fire: Hot and Dry. Choleric._

_ The four humours, the four elements, are no coincidence. With sanguine comes pleasure, its reaches are far. Choleric of ambition, striving in frenzy, the stalwart path. That melancholic of sturdiness, analytical thought. Phlegmatic that element, relaxed and quiet._

I shut the book. _I don't get it at all._ I spent some time rereading the passage, trying to make heads or tails of it and gave up. The room had darkened quite considerably, but the ceiling light was enough. I changed out of Winry's old clothes, put it on the dresser, and changed into a fresh pair of underwear and night gown. When I flicked off the room's light, the moon's light dimly lit the room. I made my way to my bed and went under the covers.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hello everybody! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'm still so new to writing, but I'll continue trying to improve! Because the last chapter was so short, I decided to write a longer chapter this time. It's a bit mundane and boring, but life can be a bit like that sometimes, right?

I wrote the alchemic text myself after some research. Many of the texts were quite difficult to comprehend and weren't explaining the things I was looking for. I hope you'll excuse my random explanations of alchemy!

Any comments, critique, feedback, and the like are greatly appreciated!


	5. Life and the Phone Call

**Chapter 5: Life and the Phone Call**

It had been a week and a half since my arrival. The autumn air became colder and colder with each passing day. Slowly but surely, my Amestrian improved immensely; however, my understanding of alchemy was even worse off than it was before. I thought I had a good grasp of some ideas from the animes and manga, but they didn't help me when it came to that green book Ed gave me. Not wanting to be a burden, I learned how to do laundry and other household chores. Winry's hands were full with her automail; Ed's hands, with alchemic research. On top of their work, there were Michael and Clara, who, while very adorable, could create… messes. Michael and Clara, still infants, needed to be supervised carefully. Winry thought I could handle the responsibility of watching Michael and Clara occasionally.

The first time was absolutely terrifying. Clara would cry nonstop. Every time I had set her down, she would cry until I soothed her again. Michael took to playing with his toys quietly in a corner. I turned around soothe Clara for a minute, and he had disappeared. I panicked and looked all over the house for him. Wanting to play with his father, Michael had gone to Ed's study. By the time Winry had come back from picking up supplies, it had only been an hour and a half. In the end, everything was fine, but I'm not sure if I could handle something like that again.

This particular morning, I found a small nest with two tiny blue speckled eggs by the base of the tree by the house. I looked at the spot where I remembered seeing the next and didn't see any birds. A small crack appeared in one of the eggs. I waited for a minute, but nothing else happened. Unsure of whether or not to move the nest, I left it there for the parents to hopefully come back. I zipped up my jacket and continued on my way to town. A small patch of dandelions had grown along the path. Even though I knew they were weeds, I liked to pick them up and blow away the seeds. The seeds gently wafted in the air when a breeze blew them away into the sky. Old man Leo, the sheep herder, and Doodle, his Labrador, came with me on my trip to town.

"Ah, sorry for walking so slowly," he grinned and patted his back, "old age wears you down." Doodle padded along beside him.

"It's no problem, Mr. Leo," I reassured.

He closed his eyes and nodded. "My wife and I would walk along this path together just like this. You look like her a bit."

"Your wife?" I couldn't recall seeing a woman with him or in the red farm building.

"Yes. She died shortly after the birth of our second child. She was a beautiful woman. Even to this day, I still carry a picture of her with me," He said as he pulled out an old black and white photo from his pants' pocket. I took the photo and unfolded it. The young woman in the photo had striking features. She had her arms wrapped around a younger looking Mr. Leo. They were both smiling at each other tenderly in the photo. I wasn't so sure I looked anything like her.

"She's beautiful. You two look happy," I said, giving him back the photo.

"She is, isn't she? She would've been so happy to see how our daughters grew up. They're both in Central now, pursuing their dreams. Ah, to be young again," he mused. He carefully folded up the photo and put it back in his pocket.

We enjoyed the fresh morning air as we walked to the town. I'd gotten a part-time job helping Lyla with her clothing store doing odd jobs. I couldn't let Winry and Ed take care of me without doing something. _The sooner I become independent, the better._ Mr. Leo went to visit Auntie, so I went to Lyla's store on my own.

"Good morning, Lyla," I said as I walked through the door. She wasn't at her normal spot by the counter. "Lyla?"

"Boo!" She screamed as she popped up from my right.

I jumped back and screamed. "Ah! Lyla, you jerk! Stop doing that." I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

"But it's so fun," she laughed, "You should have seen the look on your face!"

"It's not funny at all. I mean, don't you get tired of it after doing it so much?"

She grinned. "Nope. Besides, you're late again today." She was right, so I couldn't say anything back. "Now go sweep and scrub the floors. They're getting pretty dirty."

"Isn't that because you're the one dirtying them?"

She gently hit the back of my head with her hand. "No way." Lyla reminded me so much of my sister who loved to scare me.

I took a broom from the back closet and began sweeping. My hands had been softer and smoother before coming to this world, but the demands of work had changed that. My hands had grown calloused and hard. After sweeping, I took out a mop and bucket and mopped away at the floor. It was a slow day for Lyla's shop. Even though I didn't do too much work, Lyla had been very kind to me and paid me well. She'd leisurely sit in the back room to focus on her sewing while I stayed in the shop. I wrung out the mop and went to mop around the shop again. The bell tinkled.

"Welcome," I said automatically. I set aside the mop and bucket near the wall of the store and walked to the front of the store.

"Hello," said a male voice.

I looked up. "Russell, do you need something?" I hadn't seen him since he bandaged my feet, and I couldn't think of any reason for him to visit.

"Oh, you can speak, what was it, Amestrane now?" He said curiously.

"Yes," I scoffed. "Winry helped me."

"I heard that you started working here."

"Yeah," I remarked. "Do you want me to get Lyla? She's in the back." I gestured to the back door.

He shook his head. "No, that's not what I'm here for," he said, glancingh downwards." How are your feet?"

"They're fine now. I really love your shoes; they're really quite good." They really were. His shoes that he made were extremely comfortable to walk in for long periods of time. My raw spots had healed in no time at all.

"Hmph, I know," he smiled slightly smugly; "I made them after all."

_Your arrogance is showing. _"So if you aren't here to see Lyla, why are you here?" I inquired. I couldn't think of a reason for Russell to come to a women's clothing store. He _probably_ didn't need to buy women's clothing.

He almost looked surprised at my question. "Oh, I was going to… see someone, and I decided to drop by."

"Oh, really?" Carrying conversations wasn't one of my strong suits.

"Anyways, I should get going," he said and looked off to his right and scratched the back of his head.

"You know, if you want to come by again, I think it should be fine. But Lyla might not like it so much since you're not a paying customer."

"Yeah, thanks. Tell Lyla I said hi. See you," he nonchalantly waved his arm and left.

"Bye," I said as he turned his back. _I wonder if he came just to see me. Would it be conceited of me to think like that?_ I finished mopping and put it back in the closet through the back door. Layla sat at a sewing machine in the backroom. "I've finished mopping the floor."

"I heard someone come in. Who was it?" She pushed the white fabric through the sewing machine.

"Russell. He says hi," I said and took a seat at the table she was working at. The employee's backroom was spacious. It was more of a workspace for Lyla's clothing than an employee backroom. Shelves of clothing, fabric, and other supplies lined the walls.

"Hm," she hummed. When Lyla worked, she was very focused.

"He asked about my feet. I'd hurt them a while back and he bandaged them for me," I said, listening to the hum of the sewing machine clacking away.

"Hm, I see," she said as she stopped the machine and inspected her work. "He's really a caring person. He just has his own way of showing it." I could imagine that and noticed that she glanced at me. "What are you doing sitting here? You should get back to the front room. What if customers come?" She scolded me.

"I just wanted a break," I moaned and rested my head on a bundle of wool cloth. I couldn't help but revert back to my couch-potato ways of laziness sometimes.

"You didn't even do much," she sighed.

"Mm," I sat up straight to get out of my chair then walked back to the front room. I took a seat at the counter and rested my elbows on the table to look out the window.

Carrying a large bouquet of roses and baby breaths, Mr. Leo slowly made his way down street. It was rare to see such beautiful roses in, as Amestrians spell it, Oktober. Widowed, Auntie, owner of the croquette shop, accompanied him with her own bouquet of marigolds. They walked side-by-side solemnly.

I checked for the time and saw that I had a few more hours with Lyla. The time passed slowly with very few customers coming. It wasn't an abnormal experience to have no customers, but that made for a boring day. I looked under the counter and found some of Lyla's magazines and a book. The magazines and book had to do with sewing and clothing. I reread through her magazines for the fifteenth time then read a chapter further in her book. Before I knew it, the hours had gone by quickly.

Lyla came out of the backroom and stretched. "Made a lot of progress today on that new dress design I've been working on."

"You really like making dresses, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd like to open my own line in Central one day," she said with a dreamy smile.

"Mr. Leo told me about how his daughters are in Central pursuing their dreams."

Her smiled faded. "Even though it's my dream, I don't think I could actually leave Resembool."

I paused, not wanting to push too far. "Why?"

She looked fondly out the window. "It's my home."

_Home. _I bit my lower lip and shook my head to rid myself of the thought. "If I were to give advice, I'd say that you can't gain anything without taking chances, but it's always easier said than done."

"Oh, someone as young as you giving me advice?" She smirked. "Aren't you cheeky? I might not be that old, but I'm no spring chicken. Those kinds of things are best left for the young. Well, it's past noon now, want to head to Auntie's?"

"You're only a little older than me, Lyla. If you ever decide to go, I'll support you."

"Thanks," she gave me a small smile.

"I saw Auntie and Mr. Leo head out a while ago. She might not be back yet."

"Couldn't hurt to check."

We put out the "Closed" sign by the window and left the shop. Auntie had already returned to her stall. Lyla and I both ordered meat and potato croquettes with pumpkin croquettes for dessert. We finished our meal, so I bid Lyla farewell and headed back to the Elric's.

I kicked a stray rock in my path and watched it roll off into the grass. Some of the trees had begun turning orange with the changing of the seasons, and some of the flowers were withering away. I never thought the air back home was bad by any means, but the Resembool air was so fresh that one can't help but feel rejuvenated. After half an hour, I'd made it back to their home.

I strolled to tree and saw that the nest was still there. Two little bald baby birds rested in their now cracked eggshells, occasionally moving lethargically. Despite the bright afternoon sun, a cold wind, whisking away bits of twig, eddied around the nest. I found a small box and lined it with a towel and took it outside where I gently set the nest in box. I shimmied up the tree with the box in hand and nestled the box in a cradle formed by the tree's strong branches where I thought the nest had been. One of the birds began crying loudly, its beak opening wide. It was hard to tear myself away from the cute hatchlings, but I managed to force myself back into the house and watched for their parents to return.

I washed my hands and called to see if there was anybody in the house, but it seemed empty. There was a note on the back of the front door. "_We've gone out. Will be back before dinnertime. – Ed&Winry"._ I set the note down and found a spot by the window to watch the bird's nest. Half an hour had passed when a sparrow swooped into the tree. It looked curiously at the hatchlings before descending upon them. Suddenly, the phone rang loudly. I walked into the hall and picked up the receiver.

"Hello, Elric Residence."

"Winry?" said a male voice.

"I'm sorry. Winry and Ed are out at the moment. May I ask whose calling?"

"It's Alphonse. Miss, may I ask who you are?"

My heart stopped. _Alphonse._ _It's _Alphonse. I'd wondered why I hadn't seen him, but I'd been too busy learning to adapt to my new life here. I swallowed the clump in my throat. My voice shook and sounded weak. "This… this is Lia." _I shouldn't be this nervous. I mean, Alphonse is nice… right?_

"Miss Lia, could you please tell Winry and Ed that I'll be at Resembool train station at one in afternoon tomorrow?"

"Yes!" I said a bit too quickly.

"Ah, thank you. It was very nice talking to you, Miss Lia."

"Yes, Al. Alphonse. Have a good day."

"You too, Miss Lia."

Feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, I quickly slammed the phone down with a bit too much force. With everything that had been going on, I'd gotten used to being with Winry and Edward. I didn't think that I'd be meeting any of the other characters so soon, but there wasn't any reason to think otherwise, was there? Nervous, I paced around the house while combing my hands through my hair. _Tomorrow!_ Even after meeting Ed and Winry, the novelty of meeting more people was nerve-wracking… _or maybe it's because it _is_ Alphonse. I thought meeting Alphonse would be the least anxiety inducing meeting!_ I closed my mind and tried to take deep breaths, but nervousness had won.

I felt as if I was going to burst. I quickly walked up the stairs, nearly falling down, and went into my room. Ed's alchemy book tauntingly rested on the desk. Anything. Anything was better than stewing in my nervousness. I flipped open the pages and began rereading "Introduction to Alchemic Symbolism" once more.

_The Three Principles_

_Salt, the Contractive force in Nature, guides one in the Crystallisation and Condensation of objects. Sulphur, the Expansive force in Nature, guides one in Dissolution and Evaporation. Mercury, the Integrative force, interweaves and balances the natures of Salt and Sulphur with the guidance of Circulation and Dynamic Equilibrium._

_With the Four Elements and Three Principles, draw upon the basic knowledge needed for Alchemy. Use thy knowledge to know, to destroy, and to create. Within oneself is the power for greatness and failure. _

This passage made more sense than the introduction, but I couldn't see the relevance to alchemy quite yet. There were some illustrations under"_General Symbols_" with oil, spirit, and universal seed, _whatever that means._ Before I had realized, I had calmed down. The front door opened and closed, and Winry called my name. I forced myself to calmly walk down the stairs.

"Winry, Ed, welcome back."

"Ed, could you take Clara and Michael for a nap? I'm going to get started on dinner." Winry handed Clara off to Ed. With each child in an arm, Ed walked off to the nursery.

"Where did you guys go?"

"We decided to have a spontaneous trip after the doctor's appointment," Winry said and headed into the kitchen. "Children grow up so fast." She tied up her hair into a ponytail and put on an apron.

"Someone called while you were out. Alphonse," I blushed at saying his name, "he said that he'd be at the train station tomorrow at one."

"Alphonse?" A broad smile spread on Winry's face. "I'll have to make some apple pie to celebrate!"

Ed walked into the kitchen with a grin on his face. "Oh, Al's finally back from the West already? Che, took him long enough."

I stood in silence.

"Oh, you don't know Alphonse, do you?" Winry remembered. I couldn't say that I did know, but I wanted to keep that part of me secret.

"No. Who is he?"

"He's my little brother," Ed said proudly, pointing a thumb at his chest.

"Who's a bit taller than you," Winry laughed. She took out a cutting board to prepare for dinner. "Lia, can you get me the butcher knife?"

"Only by a little bit!" Ed emphasized. "It's such a small difference, you wouldn't even notice!" I laughed._ I didn't think that Ed would still be bothered by his height._ I found the butcher knife and handed it to Winry.

"Well, we should meet Al at the train station, don't you think?" Winry said.

Ed nodded his head. "Yeah."

"You can come with us too, Lia," Winry offered.

I chewed the inside of my lip in thought. It might be a bit awkward to be a part of a reunion when I wasn't a part of their family. I didn't want to intrude. "Oh, no. That's fine, Winry," I declined. "I was planning on visiting Mr. Leo tomorrow afternoon."

"Are you sure?" Winry asked, concerned.

"She said that she'd be visiting Old Man Leo, so I don't think she can make it." Ed said as he waved his hand. I glanced at Ed, and he returned with a knowing look. I nodded in thanks.

The rest of the evening came and went without incidence. I slid into bed after a hot shower. Thoughts reeling in my head in anticipation of the next day's events, I lied in bed. My heart thumped in anticipation, and I could feel my stomach churning. I was probably worrying without reason, but I couldn't help it._ What will happen tomorrow?_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hello, everybody! I hope you're enjoying the story thus far. I'm still experimenting and trying out new things.

Fletcher and Russell have been given different stories due to this timeline. I decided to bend their lives around a bit. I also apologize for any inaccuracies when it comes to plants, foliage, and the like.

If you see any errors (whether they relate to grammar, characterizations, story flow, etc.) feel free to point them out! Comments, critique, advice, and feedback are greatly appreciated.

* * *

**Responses:**

**RoseblossomWarrior: **Thank you for your thoughtful comment! It must've taken you some time to write it for my sake. Please feel free to continue commenting and critiquing my work. Without critique such as yours, I won't improve.

**SpenstarianCreed1**, I'm sorry for not addressing this in the previous chapter. Correctly pronounced Amestrian will be written in correctly spelled English. The written language is the same, but pronunciation is different. Al will come in very soon.

EDIT: Thank you, RoseblossomWarrior, for pointing out to me the dialogue comma mistake. I hope I found them all and fixed them accordingly!


	6. A Bird's Natural Enemy

**Chapter 6: A Bird's Natural Enemy**

The dawn started early in the morning, and I naturally began to wake up when the sunlight emerged. I put on my watch and changed into new clothes. Ed had made breakfast, and we all sat down for breakfast, Winry, Ed, Clara, Michael, and I. Ed and Winry talked excitedly about Al's arrival. I helped wash the dishes, noticing that it was time for me to head out to Lyla's.

"Winry, Ed, I'm heading out," I called as I walked out the door.

"Take care," Winry said, taking Clara and Michael to the living room.

"See you," Ed added.

I started along the path and looked up at the small box in the tree. The larger sparrow seemed to be feeding the wide, hungry mouths of the hatchlings. I sighed in relief. It would've been terrible to see such young lives taken away so soon after coming into the world. The sky was clear but had a bluish grey tint. Singing quietly to myself, I made my way into town. Lyla had me run to the fabric store for more rolls of cloth and do other odd jobs that needed to be done, including buying her some fresh milk to drink. It wasn't really a part of work, but I did whatever she asked. With each passing hour, the feeling of dread weighed more heavily in my stomach.

The anxiety building up inside was showing. I'd jump every time Lyla asked me to do something. After running some errands, I sat at the counter and looked through the window. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. I normally didn't mind my appearance, but I saw that my hair was disheveled and frizzy. Lyla was still sitting in the backroom.

"Lyla," I said after entering the room, "do you have a brush?"

She looked up from her book. "Brush?"

"Yeah, hairbrush," I said, demonstrating a brushing motion through my hair.

She looked towards a shelf. "I think I have one around here," she said as she went to the shelf. After a moment, she handed me a wooden brush. "What do you need it for?"

"No reason," I tried to say nonchalantly. "No reason," I repeated.

"Oh, really?" she said in a teasing tone. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that there was someone else involved." It seemed like a permanent grin had been plastered to her face.

My eyes widened. "No, why would you even think something like that? Anyways, don't you have a thing with Russell? You seem to know him pretty well." I combed the brush through my hair, starting at the tips and working up towards the roots. Knots and tangles in my black hair were brushed away with some effort.

She was taken aback. "Me and Russell, together? No," she said incredulously. "He's too young for me."

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing," I laughed.

She waved off my remark. "But, really, tell me what happened," she asked. She set her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands.

"Do you know Alphonse?"

"Yes, I do. I remember that he was two years below me in school."

"Well, he's coming back to Resembool," I said while brushing through my hair once more.

"And you're nervous about that?" She asked, taking a light blue roll of cloth from a shelf.

I put the brush down on the table and blushed. "I guess I am. He'll be arriving at one in the afternoon and they're picking him up."

She rolled out two meters of the fabric. "Are you going with them?"

"No, I think it'd be awkward to be there for a family reunion when…" I trailed off. "I'm going to hang around until dinner or something. I haven't figured it out."

She found a pin cushion and took out a pin. "You can't stay here unless you're buying or working, but I don't mind making exceptions for company."

She shooed me off back into the front room to wait until my shift was over. I'd calm down a bit after talking with Lyla. The rest of the hours passed slowly until noon. Lyla told me that I could leave for the day if I'd like, so I went to have lunch in a café. Their scones, sandwiches, and tea were divine. I bit into a lemon scone and wiped my hands free of the flakes on a napkin. When I had finished, the time was 12:45. _Fifteen more minutes… I don't want to impose Mr. Leo by staying over too long… If I visit and then go back to town, I might see them when they're going back home._ I decided not to take the risk.

There was a small library in the middle of the town that I'd found while exploring two days back. Without any electronics, I was in a deep withdrawal from instant entertainment. It was certainly difficult to adjust. Even now, I could feel myself dying from the lack of technology, so the find of the library was a great discovery. Though the library was small, the selection was varied.

"Good afternoon, Lia," greeted Mary-Jane.

"Good afternoon," I responded.

"There was a recent shipment of new romance and fantasy novels," she informed me excitedly. "Oh, I've got a great book for you to read." She hurried into the back and returned with a small book. "It's a great little story for a quick read."

I took the book from her and thanked her. A tall chair ensconced between two shelves in the back of the story had become my favorite spot. Maroon velvet was upholstered to the chair with golden studs lining the edges. I reposed in the chair with the book and began reading. The spot was slightly hidden in shadow, and I could feel the fog of sleep drift over me as I rested my head against the back of the chair and shelf wall. I did my best to stay awake, but sleep had overtaken me.

…

My eyes fluttered open. I realized that I had drooled some while sleeping and, embarrassed, wiped at my chin. I sat up to relieve the ache in my back, and the book fell to the floor with a soft thud. I looked at my watch and saw that it was ten till two; I didn't feel like going back. I wasn't ready to see him just yet. Mary-Jane was shelving books to the left of me.

"Hello," she said. "Have a good nap?"

"Yeah," I yawn and stretched my legs. I accidentally kicked the book and bent down to pick it up.

"You didn't like the book, did you?" She asked, dejected.

"Oh, no, I was just tired," I said, wanting to spare her feelings. A look of disappointment was still in her face. "You know what? I'll borrow this to read later."

Her face brightened. "You'll love it. I just know it," she exclaimed. She took the book from me to catalogue the rental of it. My name was added to a big binder of names and dates. She pulled out a card within the front cover of the book and wrote down my name and when it was due back. "Here you go. Enjoy!"

"Thank you, Mary-Jane," I smiled.

_You can't keep avoiding it forever_, I thought as I walked out of the store. _But I guess a little longer couldn't hurt_. The streets were quiet with people sitting in their shops working. A small cat skittered quickly across the street with Doodle bounding after it. The black striped grey cat cowered when it was cornered into a trashcan with Doodle standing over it. I called to doodle and she stood back. I knelt down on a knee and kept my distance. The cat was shaking violently and looked ready to attack.

"Hey, kitty," I said soothingly. It watched me closely, its yellow eyes shining. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Doodle cocked her head towards the cat and barked. The cat jumped away and ran down the open street. I sighed and looked at Doodle. She was wearing a strange strap around her body with a bag attached.

"You scared off the cat," I told her. She did her best to look innocent, but had a guilty look on her face. I petted her head. "You silly dog. What are you doing here without Mr. Leo"

She stretched her body then shook her body. I watched her curiously as she padded down the street and stopped in front of Russell's store. Doodle put her paw against the door and scratched. I opened the door for her and she walked into the store. Russell sat at his work station while Fletcher flitted around the store to rearrange and organize the shoes and materials. Russell didn't look up from a boot that he was working in.

"Ah, welcome back, Lia," Fletcher said, his head peeking over a large stack of boxes in his arms.

"Do you need some help?" I offered.

"No, no, I'm good," he said, setting down the large pile on a bench. "Hey, Doodle," he happily greeted Doodle and scratched her neck. Fletcher turned to Russell. "Russell, where's the order for Mr. Leo?"

"In the back in the red box," Russell said, his eyes never leaving the shoes.

Fletcher disappeared into the back and returned with a red box. Doodle walked up to him and rubbed against his legs. He flipped the flap of the bag that was strapped to Doodle, and managed to push the box in. It fit snuggly, the corners digging into the bag. Doodle scratched her ear with her hind leg. I walked over to Russell's table where it seemed like a brown work boot was being worked on. Russell had a knife in his hand. Meanwhile, Fletcher sat on a bench and petted Doodle, who was licking his face and thumping her tail on the floor in happiness.

"What are you working on?" I asked.

He glanced at me for a brief moment. "Boots. Special order for one of the farmers around here."

"I see," I said while bending forward to take a closer look. He expertly cut a rubber piece to fit the sole of the boot. "So did you meet that person you wanted to see yesterday?"

"What person?" he inquired.

"When you dropped by Lyla's, you said you had someone that you were seeing-," I reminded him when he suddenly nicked his finger with a knife.

"Ouch," he hissed. Crimson blood flowed from cut on his finger.

"Oh, my gosh," I gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" he said sarcastically. He sighed, "I'm fine. This happens sometimes."

"Brother," Fletcher said and rushed over.

"Get me a bandage," Russell said coolly, clutching his hand. Fletcher hurried with a bandage and sanitizing equipment. Russell cleaned his finger and wrapped bandages tightly around his finger. The white bandages were becoming stained with his blood. Doodle pawed her way over and sat by Russell. He smiled and rubbed her head with the back of his hand.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," he said while petting her. He turned towards Fletcher. "Thanks, Fletcher."

"I'm sorry. Was it something I said?" I asked worriedly, looking at his finger.

"No," he talked over me.

"Brother's really good at what he does, but he can be clumsy sometimes," Fletcher explained, "especially when-"

"Fletcher," Russell interrupted, "can you put away those shoes on the bench? It's cluttering up the room."

"Okay," Fletcher snickered and went back to his pile of boxes. "But you should take a break from working, Brother."

"You're probably right," Russell said. He stretched his finger and winced.

"When what, Fletcher?" I asked.

"When nothing," Russell said passionately.

"So who were you going to see?" I asked Russell.

"It's nobody," he adamantly stated.

"Nobody?" I wondered, wanting to tease him. "Is it a girlfriend? Fiancée? Are you having an affair?"

He looked at me as if I were an idiot.

"... Is it all three?" I asked. He stayed silent. "Oh, my god. It's all three, isn't it?"

"You don't know anything," he angrily snapped at me.

I shut my mouth. Even though I knew I might've been pushing a bit far, his words stung more than I thought. Fletcher had a look of concern on his face when I met his gaze.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I'm going to go now."

Bag bouncing against her body, Doodle left the shop with me. We hadn't gone more than a few steps out the door when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait, I'll go with you," he said.

_Oh, god, why?_ I shrugged off him off my shoulder. "No, I'm fine on my own," I declined.

"Please, let me," he insisted.

I stared at him for a moment. "If you want." I turned around without waiting for his reply and continued on my way. Russell caught up to my pace easily.

"Where are you heading?" He asked.

"Home," I said shortly.

Russell didn't say anything. At the edge of town, the grey cat I saw earlier was preening itself on an abandoned barrel; it licked its front paw and began scratching its ears. Russell approached the cat. Watching Doodle carefully, it waved its tail back and forth. Doodle briefly looked at the cat then went on her way, ignoring it. The cat meowed and jumped down from the barrel to rub itself against his legs. He reached out his hand slowly and stroked the cat. I didn't want to wait any longer for him, so I left him there with the cat that didn't seem to like me. _A perfect pair_. I enjoyed the momentary solitude I had until he had caught up once again, this time, with a cat in his arms. He gently scratched the area behind its ears, and the cat meowed happily. We walked in silence until the Elric household came into view.

"About earlier," he spoke. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine," I whispered under my breath and looked at the cat in his arms. "Do you think it'll let me pet it?"

We stopped along the road. Russell faced me and held out the cat perched in his arms. Hesitantly, I stuck out my hand. It jumped out of his arms and began leaping towards the house. With its quick feet, it bounded towards the tree and nimbly climbed up. It decided to take a seat dangerously close to the box with the nest I had set up earlier for the hatchlings. Worried, I, leaving Russell behind, ran to the tree. The cat looked curiously at the box with the nest and went close for a closer look. Waving my arms, I tried to shoo away the cat from the nest, but it paid me no heed. Russell jogged his way to the tree.

"Why'd you run off like that?" He said, a little out of breath.

"There's a nest with baby birds in it," I said, pointing to the box in the tree, "I don't want the cat to hurt them."

He rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. "I can get it down."

Before I could protest, he began climbing the tree in his trousers held up by suspenders and dress shirt. He managed to reach the nook of the tree and called for the cat. It looked at him with vague disinterest and turned back to the birds. He cursed quietly under his breath and reached for the cat which only walked a bit further out of his reach.

"Lia," Winry's voice called from the front door. "What's going on?"

"Winry, there's a nest with some baby birds that just hatched yesterday. I'm afraid the cat might hurt them."

She came out and peered into the tree. "Isn't that Alphonse's…?" She said then quickly went back into the house. A moment later, Winry came out with Alphonse. My heart stopped.

"Ah, it's Kit," Alphonse said as he looked up into the tree where Russell was becoming frustrated with the cat. "Kit," Alphonse called, patting his leg.

Kit jumped from the tree and effortlessly landed onto the grass. It walked up to Alphonse and mewed happily. Russell awkwardly shimmied down the tree and readjusted his disheveled clothing once he had reached the bottom.

"Don't go running off like that again," Alphonse scolded the cat, but one could hear the relief in his voice. "I was worried about you." He looked at me. "You must be Miss Lia, the one I talked to on the phone."

My face felt as if it was flushed red. "Yes," I stammered.

"You don't have to worry about Kit here. He would never hurt anybody or anything," Alphonse said as he bent down to pick up Kit.

"Welcome back, Alphonse," Russell said.

"Thanks, Russell," Alphonse smiled. "It's really great to be back."

"Well, I guess I'll be going now," Russell noted, "I just came to walk Lia home. It was nice seeing you all again. Bye Lia, Alphonse, Winry," Russell said, nodding to each of us as he said our names. The cat meowed as he headed back to the path.

"He really takes things at his own pace, doesn't he?" Winry thought aloud.

"Mm," Alphonse agreed, "he really does."

"Okay. Enough standing out here, let's all go back inside," Winry said, and we all went back into the house.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hello, everybody! Still trying out different writing styles (to me), but I'm not sure if it shows at all. I'm sorry I made Russell kind of a jerk ( ; u ; )", but I do like him! I also apologize for any egregious errors made in grammar, storytelling, etc. Comments, critique, feedback, and the like are greatly appreciated!

* * *

**Responses:**

**RoseblossomWarrior:** Thank you for pointing out the comma/dialogue error and the effort you put into explaining my errors. I'll try to keep those errors in mind.

**SpenstarianCreed1**: Thank you for your input and continuing to read and comment. C:


	7. All is One, and One is All

**Chapter 7: All is One, and One is All**

As we walked to the den, Alphonse introduced himself.

"Excuse me, Miss Lia, I haven't formally introduced myself," Alphonse smiled and readjusted the cat in his arms to free a hand. "My name is Alphonse," he said as he reached out his free arm.

"I'm Lia," I said. I nervously took his hand and gave a soft handshake. His handshake was firm, but not too tight, and seemed confident. Feeling embarrassed, I looked briefly at my right hand and ran my fingers over the calluses from the work I to which I'd recently become accustomed.

He nodded. "Yes, Winry and brother have told me about you." Kit fidgeted in his arms and mewed for attention. Alphonse gave a small chuckle and petted him.

On the couch, Edward was tickling Michael into a fit of laughter while Clara watched sleepily. She let out a small yawn and leaned against the soft throw pillow on the couch. Alphonse took a seat on the couch opposite the one Edward and the children were occupying. I picked the seat by Alphonse and noticed two luggage bags. Winry picked up Clara in her arms and took a seat beside Edward.

"Da-dee," Michael screamed gleefully. "No!"

Clara looked at Michael through sleepy eyes and rested her head against Winry's chest. Michael squirmed wildly until Edward had stopped. Once his laughter had subsided, Michael took notice of Kit. Michael clambered clumsily, nearly hitting the table when Edward held an arm out to prevent an accident, to Alphonse and Kit. Michael stared intensely at the cat and reached out to grab a tuft of grey fur.

"Careful," Alphonse warned Michael.

Edward came over and took Michael's hand. He guided Michael's hand to gently stroke the cat's fur. Michael grabbed at the fur carelessly in a moment of excitement and scared Kit. Kit suddenly stood up on Alphonse's lap and jumped off. The cat eyed Michael who began chasing after him and yelling "kitty" at the top of his lungs. With tiny steps, Michael lumbered after Kit with his arms outstretched.

"Michael, careful," Winry sighed and went to pick up Clara. "So reckless, just like his father."

"You say something, Winry?" Edward asked belligerently.

"I was just saying," she continued with an exasperated tone, "like father, like son." She walked over to Michael and followed him to the kitchen.

"I'm not reckless," Ed responded in disbelief.

"It wouldn't hurt if you could be a little more responsible," Winry shouted from the kitchen. "Michael, don't you- Michael, don't _touch_ that! Lia, could you help me?"

"Yes," I called and went into the kitchen.

Al chuckled to himself. "Brother, you're pretty irresponsible."

"Not you, too," Ed said with a sigh.

I walked into the kitchen and found that Michael had become distracted with a bag of flour with a small tear. Kit was nowhere in sight, and Michael was smearing the flour on the floor. Winry wet a towel and began wiping up the flower.

"Anything I can do to help?" I offered.

She looked up at me from the floor. "Yes, please take Clara and put her in her crib," she said and placed Clara in my hands.

"Anything else?" I asked, gently bouncing Clara in my arms. She didn't weigh much, but carrying a child for a long while could be tiring.

"No," she stated. She picked up Michael and placed him on a chair by the sink. "Wash your hands," she said as she helped him scrub his hands with soap under the running water of faucet. I looked at the kitchen clock that read three in the afternoon.

"Let's go, Clara," I softly spoke to Clara.

Clara nestled her face into the crook of my arm, but I moved her head so that she wouldn't choke. Her small hand grabbed at my hair. After swaddling her, I set her down in the crib. On the walk back to the kitchen, I overheard Al and Edward talking about eastern and western alchemy. Due to my severe lack of knowledge in alchemy, I didn't understand a word, and continued to the kitchen to check on Winry. She asked me to watch and play with Michael while she worked on her automail.

"I can't wait to use the new tools. The finish on that wrench is just divine," she sighed dreamily and walked off to her workroom. I took Michael to his room that was filled with toys until it was about an hour until dinner time. Winry baked an apple pie and pan fried some fish and steamed vegetables for a side. As the pie baked, the sweet scent of pie wafted through the house to every corner of the house.

…

We all sat around the dining table. Clara, having woken up from her nap, and Michael sat on their high chairs. Winry handed them a bottle each. They hungrily sucked on the bottles. Clara needed some help supporting the bottle and sometimes dropped it. Elbows on the table, Edward picked away at his fish.

"That's bad manners," Alphonse reminded him.

Ed groaned. "I'll eat how I want to eat. It's my house," he defended himself as he ate a fork full of broccoli. "Ish reary good, Winry."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Winry chided him. Edward finished chewing and swallowed. Michael and Clara looked around the table as they drank.

"So Brother said that you want to learn alchemy," Alphonse said to me.

It took me a while before I realized that he was talking to me; I was still a bit astonished that I was talking to him. Alphonse had been my favorite character when I was going through the series. I quickly finished chewing. "Yes," I said in a matter of fact manner, doing my best not to become nervous.

"Alchemy? The last thing we need around here is another alchemy nut. You should learn about automail. I'm the best, after all," Winry said proudly. She wiped up some milk that had failed to go into Michael's mouth.

"Alchemy nut? And what about you, automail nut? But I have to admit your automail is the best," Edward agreed. "The service could be a bit better."

"What?" Winry's face flushed with anger. "Well, maybe I'd give you better service if you took better care of your automail. I work so hard on it."

"I try to, but things happen," Edward pointed out.

"I know… but you could still take better care of it," Winry admitted. A moment passed as everyone continued eating.

"I gave her a book to read. It has some basics of alchemy in it," Edward told Alphonse.

"Which one?" Alphonse asked.

"Oh, you know. It's that really old one, the green one that I picked up in the West," Edward said.

"Brother," Alphonse exclaimed, "you know that's not something that you can give to a beginner! Not everybody is as good at alchemy as you are."

"Huh, I thought it was easy stuff," Edward mumbled and shrugged off Alphonse's comment.

"You know, I'd never do anything like that," Winry smiled.

"I wouldn't mind trying to learn about automail as well," I said. Winry beamed.

"Alchemy's pretty interesting stuff," Edward said. "Al and I are working on something together." Alphonse gave him a knowing glance.

"Al just came back from the West after going to the East," Winry told me and turned back to Al. "It was nice of Mei to visit after Clara was born. I was so glad that you could take some time from your trip to the West to come visit us too, even if you had to go back so soon."

"Yeah, she's working very hard for her clan as Ling's advisor," Al said.

"She was really happy to see you, Al," Edward said.

"She's really affectionate, isn't she?" Alphonse agreed. "But I can tell she's really dedicated to her clan, like we are to alchemy."

"We have the picture around here of when you guys both visited us," Edward mentioned. "It's in the hall."

"I saw," Alphonse said with a smile. "Lia, I wouldn't mind helping you with learning alchemy."

"Really?" I asked. "I don't want to bother you with it if it's any trouble."

"It's no problem," he said with a sweet smile. My heart nearly melted. I couldn't keep eye contact with him and looked down at my plate.

"Michael and Clara sure have gotten bigger, haven't they?" Alphonse noted.

"Yes," Winry smiled.

"Michael's developing pretty fast," Edward said. "He's already speaking pretty well."

The rest of the dinner was spent talking about Clara and Michael's development. From what I'd been able to tell from the conversation, Alphonse had visited a couple months ago but returned for the birth of Clara with Mei. It also didn't seem like Alphonse was dating Mei, a fact that I was unsure of after finishing the series. Dinner had ended. It was my turn to do the dishes so I picked up the plates after everyone retired to the den. Winry said that I could do it later, but I declined. A moment to compose myself was something that I desperately needed.

Clearing my mind, I squeezed some of the dish detergent onto a white sponge and began scrubbing the plates free of food bits. Laughter echoed from the den. My hands had become a bit wrinkled from the running water as the dishes were cleaned. I set the clean dishes onto a drying rack. Kit, who had run off to who knows where, stalked into the kitchen and watched me continue washing the dishes. He looked very similar to a cat I'd seen around campus. I cringed. _I've missed at least a week of school already._ I shook away the thought, but the anxiety persisted. _How much stuff am I missing?_ Clara squealed. Kit cocked his head curiously. I leaned forward to see if I could peer into the den, but a wall blocked my view.

My back ached from leaning over the sink, but a couple days worth of dishes was beginning to pile up that needed to be addressed. Fingers pruned, I finished washing the dishes in silence and found a towel to dry them all. Kit hopped onto the counter by the plates and stared at me with vague disinterest. Winry walked into the kitchen with Michael on her heels and Clara in her arms. Michael stared intently at Kit, and Kit quickly ran out of the room.

"Kitty," Michael said sadly.

"Drying?" She asked.

"Yes," I said. She looked at me for a moment.

"Ed and Al are talking about their alchemy, those two" she sighed.

"I can tell they're passionate about it. I can imagine that mixing two styles of alchemy together would be difficult," I said.

She looked at me for a moment and blinked. "How do you know that?"

I nearly dropped the plate in my hands but caught it. "Know what?"

"About their alchemy and-"

"Oh!" I interrupted her. "I guessed. I mean, they were talking about the East and the West and since they were studying alchemy, right?"

"Maybe I didn't notice," she said, "I don't pay too much attention when they start talking about alchemy."

"It's hard to understand," I agreed with her. "Winry, I really would like to learn about automail."

"Automail is so amazing," she said with excitement in her voice. "You'll love it! It might be a bit difficult, but it's the best."

"I talked to Lyla the other day. She said that a new shipment would be coming in to the automail shop in a couple days. They'll have more tools soon," I notified her. I finished wiping the last of the dishes and began putting them away. Edward came into the kitchen, and Michael ran to him.

"That's great," Winry squealed loudly.

"Ouch," Edward said as he rubbed his ear.

"Oh, Ed," Winry said, taking notice of Edward. "Where's Al? I thought you were going to talk about alchemy."

"We're going to after he comes back from visiting Mom, Dad, and Pinako," he said. A small silence occupied the conversation. _Pinako? Is she…?_

Winry looked out the kitchen window. "It'll be the first anniversary of her…" Winry muttered and couldn't finish her sentence, tears welled in her eyes.

"Yeah," Edward nodded solemnly and held her in a hug, Clara sandwiched between them. I watched them and felt that it would be best if I left; however, I still hadn't finished putting away the dishes. Winry wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice cracking.

"It's fine," I whispered, unsure of what to do.

"A-Anyways, Alphonse will be sleeping on the couch, so don't be surprised if you see him there," Winry told me.

"The couch?" I wondered. I grabbed some silverware and put it back into their proper place.

"You're in the only guestroom," Edward said. Michael grabbed at Edward's pants.

"Oh," I mumbled. "I was thinking about that… Since I've gotten a job, I'd like to pay for staying. I mean, if you'll let me stay. I don't have a lot of money, but I'd like to do what I can."

Winry looked at Edward. "We'll talk it over," he replied.

"Take as much time as you need," I said. "Um, I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Okay," Edward stated and picked up Michael. "You want to play?"

"Yah," Michael shrieked.

I finished putting away the dishes and walked back to my room. In my spare time, I'd spent it trying to draw my friends and family when I was not trying to understand the book Edward gave me. Not being the best of artists, the drawings didn't come out as I could remember them. Their faces began fading from my mind day by day, becoming blurrier. Besides drawing, I also began writing down any memories I could remember. Songs, special moments, bad moments, I wrote them all down. The more I tried to remember, the more I seemed to be forgetting. Even if I had accepted my new life, I still couldn't forget my past. It still felt surreal, my time here. I scribbled my mother's face out for the fifth time and threw the paper into a bin.

Before I knew it, the sky had darkened. My watch read nine. Winry and Edward normally were in their own workrooms during this time with the children in bed. My hand began cramping, so I massaged it gently. I grabbed my childhood blanket from the bed and went downstairs. Still wearing my shoes from earlier, I walked outside to enjoy the night air. I was surprised to see Alphonse standing a little further down the path, looking up at the stars, with Kit at his feet. He turned as he heard me open the door.

"Good evening, Miss Lia," he greeted me as I walked up beside him.

"Good evening," I said. Kit meowed at me. "Good evening, Kit. Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," he said and turned back to the stars. "They're pretty, aren't they?"

"Yes." There was a small silence.

"You're not Amestrian, are you?" He asked.

"I… don't know," I answered. _Amestrian? Not even close. _I used my regular excuse. "I don't remember anything about myself.

"I see," he said calmly. "I thought you might be Xingese because of your black hair."

"Really?" I asked, just to say something and keep the conversation going.

"Yes," he said with a fond tone. "The Xing people have black hair. I think it's pretty. It's almost like the night sky." _I wonder if he's thinking about Mei._

"I guess… I've never thought anything of it," I mumbled as I stroked my hair, my fingers getting caught in a tangle.

He didn't respond. We enjoyed the silence together, or at least I did, with the stars glistening brightly. The night sky was a sight that still took my breath away, no matter how many times I saw it. The moon shone dimly with a clear white-blue hue.

"Brother gave you such a difficult book," Alphonse laughed to himself. "Just forget what you read in it."

"All right," I squeaked. Such a thing wasn't too hard to do, since I didn't even understand a lick of it in the first place.

"Well," he said as he turned to me. "First things first, I'd like to ask you to think about this. "All is one, and one is all.""

"All is one, and one is all," I repeated. _I know what it means. I think the answer they gave Izumi was that they are the one, and the world is the all. Insignificant beings part of the world._ Of course, I couldn't say it so nonchalantly and decided to contemplate it on my own. "I'm sorry you have to stay on the couch."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm taking up the guest room," I said.

"Ah, it's fine," he smiled. "I can't stay there forever anyways. Brother and I have a plan."

"That's good."

"I'm going to go sleep now, Miss Lia," he told me.

"Oh, goodnight, Alphonse," I said quietly. It felt so odd having him use my name.

"Goodnight. Don't stay up too late," he said and went back inside, Kit following him.

I watched him go inside and took a seat on the cement porch in front of the door, a yellow glow spread out on the floor before me with a shadow of my silhouette. _One is all, and all is one. Is that something I really understand?_ I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

* * *

**Author's note**: I'm so sorry if I am making the characters go OOC (out of character) ;u; I-I'm not too good at this, but I'm going to do my best! It seems that people are enjoying my story, even if it's a little bit, and that makes me really happy. Thanks for taking the time to comment, give feedback, follow, etc! Also, I'd like to apologize for being terrible at romance ;u;

As always, comment, critique, and feedback is appreciated!

EDIT: cleaned up some sentences that had random words in them. ;u; Changed a few words that I thought would fit better.


	8. Take it Easy

**Chapter 8: Take it Easy**

The morning was like any other, except for the fact that Alphonse was temporarily living in the same household. I sat at the table and moved pieces of waffle around on my plate. The children seemed to really love playing with their uncle. They always asked for rides on his shoulder or dragged him off to play with him. He would happily oblige, and the morning was filled with raucous laughter.

…

"I'm going now," I yelled into the house, slinging a bag over my shoulder.

Alphonse walked over with Michael sitting on his shoulders. "Are you going out?"

"Yes, to work… In town."

"That's perfect," he said and gingerly picked up Michael from his shoulders. "I'll go with you." My heart skipped a beat, but I also felt a bit disappointed. Alphonse walked back into the house and returned without the child. "Shall we go?"

"Sure," I said. A small pause filled the space. "Do you need something from town?"

"Yes," he smiled. "I need some wood and materials."

"What for?"

"I'm going to make our old house." _Their old house, huh?_

We walked along the sandy colored path; I focused on the path ahead. The chill morning was really pleasant. A comfortable silence settled between us, and, before I knew it, we were close to town. I closed my eyes briefly and, suddenly, kicked a rock. My heel skidded along the dusty road; I ungracefully flailed and landed on my butt. _Great. I've only known Al for a little while and this is the impression I'm going to give him._

"Are you alright?" Alphonse asked, bending down and offering me a hand.

"Yeah," I muttered, my heart still racing from the adrenaline and absolute embarrassment. It was bad enough to do this in front of strangers, but it was even worse with someone you liked. With a groan, I took his hand, and he helped me up. My butt felt sore.

Each heartbeat vibrated within me wildly; I was surprised that Alphonse couldn't hear them. The sun peeked between two soft clouds and shone in patches on the plains before us. I looked at Alphonse and kept my disappointment to myself. I mean, I just made a complete, excuse the joke, ass of myself. I laughed at my lame joke. _Hehe, ass, _I thought immaturely. _Okay, let's not think about that anymore. I mean, he probably doesn't think anything of me, and I'm probably just over thinking things. Hopefully. Probably. Maybe._

There was another reason for my disappointment, though it had nothing to do with the unfortunate fall. These morning walks were the moments I had to myself to sing. But really, I liked to sing on the walks. Not just sing, but sing all of my favorite songs from home without the Amestrian accent. It was the time where I felt closest to home. _But I guess this is my new home now._ Yet, everything still felt like a dream. _This is probably how Ed felt when he went to Germany in the 2003 anime._ I looked at Alphonse, making sure that he wasn't paying me any attention, and I began mouthing the lyrics of "All I Want for Christmas" to calm down. I eventually stopped, feeling silly.

"Have you thought about it?" Alphonse directed towards me.

"Thought about what?" I asked.

"All is one, and one is all," he reminded me.

"A little… Well, not really," I admitted, giving up on the notion of lying. As we walked over the bridge, the babbling brook gliding gently over the stones and earth caught my eye. The sunlight glimmered brightly in the clear waters.

"Take your time," Alphonse said kindly. "It took Brother and me a month or so to finally understand. Of course, we were also stranded, so it felt much longer."

"Stranded?" I exclaimed.

It was one thing to read or watch about someone's about someone's experience, and it was another to have someone who was living, breathing, to say it. A whirlwind of memories about their month long journey on that island flew across my mind. These were real people who had gone through real experiences. My eyebrows knit together after realizing the fact. I hated when things got real. The world grew colder, and the reality of the situation was something I didn't want to face; however, everything still felt surreal. It was a weird experience, to say the least. Mixed feelings began to overtake me.

"It was pretty rough treatment, but we made it out fine," he reassured me. "But I wouldn't want to go through that again." Voice flat, his face became expressionless, losing all color.

"Are you okay? Your face looks a little pale," I noted.

"Eh. It's just that thinking about my teacher sometimes makes me feel…" his voice trailed off and a troubled expression emerged. I tried to think of things to say that would keep the conversation going and not bore him since we'd finally managed to have a conversation.

"Alphonse?" I asked awkwardly.

"Yes?" His face had returned to its normal hue.

"Where's Kit?" I wondered. _Argh, is that all I can think of? But_ _that grey cat really likes to follow Alphonse. If I could get Kit to like me, rather than ignore my existence, would it help my relationship with Al?_

"He's probably out exploring," Alphonse said amiably. "He can take care of himself though. It's a nice day, isn't it?" _He doesn't seem phased by anything._

"Yeah, it's really nice. Sunny but also breezy. That's my favorite kind of weather," I said with a smile. A deep breath of the fresh, crisp air filled my lungs.

At the bottom of the hill was the edge of town.

"Were you saying something earlier?" He asked.

I wasn't quite sure what he was referring to. "No, I don't think so."

"Earlier, I saw that you were mouthing something... I think it was after your fall." _He remembered._

"Oh, that," I said with a blink, trying to forget the feeling of embarrassment rising within me once more. "I was just saying the words to a song."

"A song," he spoke. "I'd love to hear you sing sometime, Miss Lia."

My face flushed at the thought. I liked singing, but I couldn't say that I was that good. I wasn't terrible, just not good. _Knowing Al, he probably wouldn't make fun of me or anything, but still…_ "Maybe," I mumbled then attempted to change the subject. "You know, you don't have to call me Miss Lia. Just Lia is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Okay, Just Lia," he said with a grin.

"You know what I mean."

"Yup, Just Lia," Alphonse teased.

"That's not fair. I need to have something on you, too!"

"Then you can call me Just Alphonse," he said after a moment's pause.

"I guess I could," I conceded, unable to think of something else. "Just Alphonse." A small laugh built up inside me and came out. That small laugh grew into large laughter. Before we knew it, we were both laughing. "I'm sorry," I said between gasps, "I don't know why it's so funny."

"I don't know, either," Alphonse laughed along.

The laughter dwindled, but it left me feeling refreshed. I was leading the way to Lyla's store but remembered why Alphonse had come to town as well.

"Alphonse- I mean, Just Alphonse," I corrected myself with a smile on my lips, "I thought you needed materials?"

"I do."

"You don't need to walk with me to Lyla's," I told him. "I know that Bart's Materials is on the other side of town."

"I don't mind at all. Besides, I couldn't leave someone who I was accompanying alone until I walked them to their destination."

"Oh," I said with a pause. "That's very kind of you…" This kind of treatment wasn't something that I was used to at all, much less from a person of the opposite sex that wasn't my family. _He's so… courteous._ My stomach felt bubbly. We stopped, and I looked at the plain sign of Lyla's Clothing. "I guess we're here."

"You work at Lyla's?"

"Yes, she has me do odd jobs every so often. I don't think I'm helping much though," I sighed.

"Is she?"

"I like her though, even if she tries to scare me often," I said warily.

"Mm," he nodded knowingly. "Well, I shouldn't keep you any longer than I already have. I'll see you back at Brother's then?"

"Yes, I'll see you then."

"Oh, Alphonse," Lyla said excitedly, pressed up against the window. She scrambled to the door and opened the door violently. "Alphonse, I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Hello, Lyla," Alphonse greeted her.

"You came back from the West? You were gone for so long with your brother, and when you came back, you went off on another journey," said Lyla. "I didn't even get to see you when you visited after Clara's birth."

"Morning, Lyla," I reminded her of my presence. She was a lot more excited than I ever expected.

"Oh, Lia, there are some things in the back I want you to shelve. Could you do that?" Lyla asked me.

"Sure. See you, Alphonse," I waved goodbye.

"Yeah," he said and waved back.

Listening to Lyla happily talking away to Alphonse, I entered the store and closed the door behind me. I set my bag down next the table leg in the backroom and saw a stack of white clothes on the table. The stack was probably what she wanted me to put away. I took the top item and watched as it unfurled to reveal a shirt with two strips of fabric hanging from the collar. Perhaps it was for a bow or some knot. I was happy from the conversation I had with Alphonse… and then I remembered my accident. I buried my face in the shirt which smelled clean. Folding the shirt neatly, or as neat and square as I could, I wondered what use this would have in the countryside.

…

They continued talking for a while, and I'd finished putting away the shirts. Waiting for her to return, I stayed in the backroom. Lyla returned with a broad smile and hummed a happy tune. She sat down on a chair in the back room and let out a dreamy sigh.

"You were really excited," I told her my observation. "I mean, you were _really _excited. I've never seen you like that before."

"Oh, I didn't notice," she said as if in a daydream.

"Are you…? Do you… with Alphonse?" I trailed off, not knowing how to phrase what I wanted to say.

"No, it's not what you're thinking of," she told me as she sat up straight. "He's just grown up to be a really handsome guy, that's all. Like I said, I'm not into younger guys, but I can certainly appreciate them."

"I see. I guess he's… pretty handsome," I admitted more to myself than to Lyla.

"He's also really kind. Even though I held him up for a conversation, he still talked with me. Guys like him are much better than guys like Russell," said Lyla, her mood slightly dampened by the thought of Russell. "Russell's kind of rough around the edges, means well, but I like sweet guys."

"I thought you didn't know Alphonse that well since he was gone?"

"I don't need to spend much time with people to know them," she said confidently. "Woman's intuition, I guess you'd call it."

"Russell can be kind of a rough guy," I said, thinking back to when he tried to get Kit from the tree, even if he did ultimately failed. "Okay, really rough. I like how Winry put it. What was it..? Oh, right. He takes things at his own pace."

"That's absolutely true," Lyla agreed. "Hey, what do you say that we just take it easy today?"

"Does this have to do with meeting Alphonse?"

"Possibly. Well, it doesn't matter. It's my store. Put the sign out, and let's just do whatever today," she said with a wave. Lyla watched me put out the sign and stretched her arms and back while sitting in the chair. "I'm kind of tired of sewing."

"I wonder if it's not really you who's the person that takes things at their own pace," I talked to myself. The sign was hidden beneath a stack of her magazine. I fished out the sign and placed it at the window. Lyla walked out of the backroom holding our bags. "If we're not staying at the store, what are we going to do?"

"Bother people," she said mischievously.

"That sounds promising."

…

"What are you doing?" Russell exclaimed incredulously as Lyla walked in and made herself comfortable at his counter.

"What?" she said innocently.

"This isn't your living room. You can't just hang out here whenever you feel like it," Russell angrily scolded Lyla.

"But I'm bored," Lyla moaned.

"You're so childish," he told her.

"Day off, Lia?" Fletcher asked me.

"She wanted to take it easy," I told him and took a seat on a bench. "Is that normal?"

"Well, rarely," Fletcher laughed. "She likes to hang out here when she does. It drives Russell crazy."

I looked at Russell. He set down his tools and began lecturing Lyla who was pointing out that he should respect his elders, even if it was only a few years difference. After our little spat yesterday, I wasn't sure how to face him. I had to admit that I was acting somewhat immature, but, if I told him, who knows what he'd do? I wasn't sure if it was something that was something I was ready to handle.

"I don't care how much older you are than me," Russell was nearly yelling, "I'll always be more mature than you."

"If you were so mature, you wouldn't be yelling," Lyla teased.

"You just like seeing me mad," Russell pointed out. "Go back to your store."

"They kind of suit each other, don't they?" I asked Fletcher.

"They argue, but I think they like each other," Fletcher confided in me.

"Fletcher," Russell called him, "what are you telling her?"

"Nothing," Fletcher grinned and hurried off out of sight.

"Don't be so mean to Fletcher," Lyla warned him. She got up and followed after Fletcher. "Hey, Fletcher, do you have anything like the ones in the new line from Feet Boutique in Central?"

"I think we have something like it," Fletcher's disembodied voice called.

Russell shook his head. "If he has time to focus on new lines and silly things like that, why can't he improve his technique," Russell muttered to himself. He picked up a tool in his hand. He elegantly tossed it and caught it by its handle. "I'm guessing you're here because Lyla dragged you here?"

I stood up and walked over to his table. "You could say that."

"She does whatever she wants," he sighed.

_So do you, but it's not so bad, I guess._ "Yes," I said. Not wanting to instigate something, I picked my words somewhat more carefully. "You're not interested in Central?"

"Not really," Russell said mindlessly, looking intently at a piece of leather. He took out drafting paper and inspected his design. I kept silent for a while.

"Thanks for trying to get Kit away from the birds," I said weakly.

"Who's Kit?" he questioned.

"The grey cat."

"You don't need to thank me. I couldn't even get the cat down."

"You still tried."

He grimaced. "I didn't do anything."

"Do you have trouble accepting it when someone thanks you?"

"Not really. I can't say that I'm thanked often either," he admitted. "So Alphonse is back. What do you think of him?"

"He's really nice," I told him. A loud shriek, Lyla's voice, echoed in the store.

Russell grit his teeth and took a moment to compose himself. "Anyways, that guy is like my opposite. Lyla is a sucker for those types."

_ At least Russell knows it,_ I thought. "She was pretty… excited when she saw him walk me to work."

He set down the paper and felt the leather. "What about you? Are you crazy for those types too?"

"I could ask you the same thing, kind of. What's your type?" I deflected.

"I don't have time for things like that," he smirked. The sun slanted through the dusty windows that illuminated his grey eyes. Though he was looking down, one could tell the brilliance of his eyes. He noticed my gaze. "Could you not look at me so seriously?"

"Oh, sorry," I stated and left to find Lyla. I navigated through the furthest corner of the store and found Lyla putting elegant, white heels covered in lace.

"This would be _perfect_ for the new dress I'm sewing," she said happily. "To think something this dainty could be made by Russell."

"Did something good happen?" Fletcher asked me. "She's really excitable today."

"I'm right here, you know," she said pointedly.

"Alphonse visited, but it seems to be more than that," I told him.

"You're right," she held up a finger to her lips. "It's a secret though. You'll find out in a while."

"Do you have any idea?" Fletcher asked. He held a lavender box with white lettering along the side that was probably for the shoes.

"No idea," I shook my head.

"It's a big surprise," Lyla sang.

"Hm," Russell's voice came from behind me.

"I thought you wanted space to work," I said. Russell decided upon a spot beside me.

"You thought that. I just asked you to stop looking at me seriously. You didn't have to leave," he informed me.

"Oh," I simply said.

"Russell, I'll take these in a bigger size," Lyla said while holding up the white heels.

"We don't have them in a bigger size. I made those specifically for a bride to be," Russell told her.

"No wonder," she said to herself, completely unfazed by his remarks.

"Brother can make a special order if you'd like," said Fletcher.

"An order for her?" Russell sighed. "It's not going to be cheap."

"Just being helpful, Russell," Fletcher smiled. "It's good for business too."

"Money is no issue for these shoes. I believe you have my measurements on file?" Lyla asked.

"Yes," Russell said reluctantly.

"I want it just like these," Lyla grinned, shoving the shoes nearly in Russell's face. He took the shoes from her hands with a heavy sigh and walked back to his station. "Well, I'm done here. Wanna go to The Café? You can come too, Fletcher."

"Don't even think about it, Fletcher," Russell yelled.

"Maybe next time, Fletcher," Lyla offered.

"Thanks, Lyla, but I've got things to do around here," Fletcher declined. "Bring me a scone if you can."

"Will do," Lyla said cheerfully. "Well, let's go."

"Bye, Fletcher. Bye, Russell," I bid them farewell as we left the store.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I'm so creative with names. Thank you everybody for your continued reading! I really didn't expect anything at all, and I'm really grateful that you've taken time out of your day to read, comment, etc. Writing can be a really great and fun experience, and I'm glad I could share some of that with you. I hope you'll be able to enjoy it even a little.

I'm a bit antisocial. Is this how real conversations go? Yes? I hope? Maybe? One day, I'll see the sun. (Finishing this up at 1:19 AM because sleep is for the weak. JK.)  
As always, comments, critique, and feedback is extremely appreciated!

* * *

**Responses:**

**RoseblossomWarrior**: Alphonse is so kind isn't he? ;u; Thank you for your kind comment! I'm a bit afraid that it will be a bit too dry being a slice of life and having the story as my first stab at writing. Your comment is very encouraging. I can't say this enough, and I hope you don't find my constant thanks too annoying. A;; Thank you for continuing to read.

**Raven Samantha Byron**: Thank you for letting me know and for reading. I hope you enjoy my story and continue to comment!

**SpenstarianCreed1**: Thank you for commenting and continuing to read. I'm glad that you're willing to point things out to me that I may not otherwise consider.


	9. Puppies

**Chapter 9: Puppies**

The Café's overhang shaded us from the sun, not that we needed it, since there wasn't much sun to begin with. Chocolate covered scones sat in a paper brown bag, and the oil was subtly seeping into the bag. Lyla mixed in sugar and cream into her steaming hot cup of coffee.

"I have to ask," I began, "what's got you so excited?" I took a small bite into some sort of croissant sandwich. A smooth buttery taste spread in my mouth.

"Like I said, it's a secret," she said, trying to sound mysterious. "If everything works out, you'll know. You'll see it for yourself."

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me?"

"I might be like this, but I'm a pretty good secret keeper. Wow, this bagel is delicious," she gushed. "They should just change the name to The Bagel or something."

Getting a face full of delicious chocolate flavored steam, I sipped at the hot chocolate. I eyed Lyla's bagel smothered in flavored cream cheese. A large queue of men holding wood, roofing equipment and other random assortments of materials walked by in succession. Lyla sang the world "bagel", over and over again, happily and tapped at the table rhythmically.

"I love bagels. They're so good," she continued to sing with no melody in mind. "Bagel, bagel, bagel!"

I joined her in chorus. "Bagels! But croissants are good too!"

"Oh, but bagels are better," she sang back to me, playing off my tune.

"Croissants are buttery and full of flaky goodness," I sang back.

"But you can flavor the bagel anyway you waaaaant," she extended the last word.

"Lies! You speak- sing - lies!"

She stood up dramatically, flourishing her bagel. "Bagel!" With the last word sung, she bowed, ending our singing back-and-forth.

"You're both so odd," Mr. Leo noted as he walked to our table and took a seat. Neither Paw nor Doodle were with him.

"Mr. Leo, hello," Lyla spoke cheerfully.

"Hi, Mr. Leo," I chimed, "how are you?"

He grunted as he readjusted the seat. "These chairs are so hard on me sometimes," he groaned and patted his lower back. "How are you two ladies?"

"I'm great," Lyla said a bit too loudly.

"She's been excited this whole morning," I told him.

"Do you two do that often?" he asked.

"Do what often?" Lyla said cluelessly.

"That odd singing thing," he pointed out.

Lyla shared a glance with me and began guffawing. "What? That thing? No, it was just a spur of the moment thing. I have a very contagious personality, you know?" she grinned.

"Ah, youth," Mr. Leo sighed under his breath and closed his eyes.

A comfortable silence filled the air. I looked to the sky and watched the clouds pass by the sun, playing a game of hide and seek with the village. Lyla generously spread more cream cheese on her bagel. A soft breeze blew. Lyla's blue hair ribbon gently waved in the wind, and Mr. Leo's cap floated off his head and onto the table by my cup. Looking surprised, he stared at the cap for a moment. His bald head glinted boldly in the sunlight. Lyla nonchalantly picked up the cap and handed it back to him.

"You're bald?" I asked.

"I guess my secret's out," he said, raising his arms as if it couldn't be helped.

"It's not a secret," Lyla spoke matter-of-factly.

"I've never seen you without your hat," I said. He'd always worn some sort of faded black hat.

"Well, in the cold seasons, having no hair on your head can be a bit chilly," he told me. "The cold can be so hard on my joints too. Look, my hands shake a bit." He held up his hands, and they were, indeed, shaking.

"I have gloves," Lyla informed him. "Men's gloves. Nice leather ones." Her tone had become somewhat somber.

He looked at her seriously. "I couldn't."

"My dad would want it," she said.

An uncomfortable moment passed. "I suppose then," he finally spoke. "Have you gotten in contact with my daughter? I heard about your –"

"No!" Lyla interrupted him. "Sorry! It's just that it's a surprise. No one here knows yet. I want it to be a big surprise," she smiled, her chipper tone returned.

"I see," he smiled knowingly. "Of course. It's great news."

"So I'm not allowed to know?" I asked her.

"Not yet," she said curtly.

"Hm," I said to myself. If I'd learned anything from my experience, it's how to put away my curiosity for the moment. It was that, or be eaten away with curiosity till I exploded.

"You've been out more, Mr. Leo," Lyla changed the topic.

"Yes, yes, more exercise," he said as he stretched his legs. "Auntie has been badgering me to get out more." _I guess everybody calls Auntie "Auntie"._ I recalled the first time I'd tried her delicious croquettes.

"Auntie has advice for everyone," Lyla noted. "Just last week she told me to act more _ladylike_ or I wouldn't be wed for the rest of my life." She heaved a sigh, put her elbow on the table, and rested her head in her hand.

Mr. Leo had been coming to the village very often, but a question nagged at me. "Don't you have sheep?" I wondered.. "Who takes care of them?"

"They can take care of themselves. Besides, I have Doodle and Paw to help too," he said in his gruff voice. "Still need to find a home for those puppies that Doodle just had. I won't be around much longer, so I can't take care of them."

"Oh, don't say that, Mr. Leo," Lyla voiced her concern.

"When you're as old as me, you come to terms with it," he mumbled. "Mm, I should get back."

"I'll go with you," Lyla offered. "I'd like to take a look at those puppies! If you're giving them away, I'd like to take one when it's older."

"Oh, that'd be lovely," Mr. Leo told her.

"What about me?" I spoke up, wondering if I was being rude for saying something like that.

"Of course you can come too," Mr. Leo offered.

"The more the merrier," Lyla chimed. "Wait," Lyla said, turning towards me, "I haven't paid you yet, have I?"

"Not yet," I said.

"Mr. Leo, we'll meet up with you, okay?" Lyla told him. "I don't want you to stay out in the cold too long. Watch out for your hat!"

He gave a small laugh. "Will do. I'll see you both soon." He used the table to support himself as he stood up then made his way back to his home.

"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Lyla spoke as she turned towards me.

…

On the dirt path, I counted the bills and coins in my hand, then put them into my wallet. _I wonder if Winry and Edward had talked about my proposal for paying rent._

"I bet the puppies are cute," Lyla said. She saw the bridge and ran up ahead. Effortlessly, she hopped onto the side railing and balanced along its surface. The uneven stone beneath her feet seemed to make no difference to her gait. Her arms sticking out, she made her way to the other side. The distance between us was more than twenty feet. Bag bouncing against my side, I ran up to her.

"You just left me," I said incredulously.

She reached the end of the stone railing and hopped down. "You're just too slow."

"Is that fun, walking on the railing?"

"Yeah."

I slipped my bag over my head. "Hold this. I want to try, too."

She snickered and took my bag. "If you think you can."

I jogged lightly to the other end and sat on the railing. My legs swung over onto the railing. Feet firmly planted on the somewhat thin stone, I cautiously stood up. My eyes were focused on the path before me and not on the water flowing noiselessly beneath the bridge in which I could fall. The stone was lumpy and odd beneath my feet. The first step was a bit awkward. I realized my hands were clutching my skirt with anxiety. I relaxed and stuck them out slightly for balance. Before I knew it, I was close to the end; however, it was pretty quiet. Lyla was not a quiet person.

I looked up. "Lyla?"

"What?"

I shrieked and hopped off to the side onto the floor. "Lyla!"

"Yes? You called," she said happily, standing atop the railing just a foot away from where I was just moments before. She swayed back and forth, hands behind her back.

"You suck."

"Thanks. I know," she grinned. "What are you doing just standing around? We can't keep Mr. Leo waiting!" She hopped down once more and walked off without waiting to see if I'd catch up. "Ugh, I need to pee," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" I said, not quite hearing what she said as she'd so kindly walked ahead of me.

"What?"

"Did you just say that-"  
"Nope."

…

"Knock knock," Lyla said through the open window of Mr. Leo's humble home. "We're here!" Paw and Doodle ran from behind the house and looked at us expectantly.

I scratched Paw's neck and felt his thick, fur between my fingers. The door creaked as it opened to reveal Auntie.

"Well, hello there," Auntie said in her soft tone.

"Auntie?" I said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, while you were dawdling, I saw Mr. Leo and he invited me to tea," she said politely.

"I told you to hurry," said Lyla. I opened my mouth to retort.

"Now don't quarrel," Auntie chided us. "Come on in."

We walked into the house with Auntie leading the way for us. Mr. Leo sat leisurely on a lush hunter green couch. Four cups were set on the table; two, filled with tea. Off to the side of the room was a white pen with blankets on the floor. Small yelping puppies crawled along the floor and on top of each other. One tackled a small stuffed pig. Walking to the pen, I counted off the puppies in my mind. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5…8!_

"Hello, you made it," Mr. Leo greeted us.

"Eight puppies," I exclaimed.

Lyla stood beside me. "Here, puppies. Oh, you're all so cute!" she said enthusiastically. Lyla bent down and petted a puppy, who wandered in Lyla's direction, with the back of her hand. "You're so soft." Her voice was edging towards baby talk. "Who's cute? Who's the cutie?"

Auntie sat primly in a single seat sofa. She daintily picked up her cup and saucer. "So, Lyla, have you thought about my advice?"

Lyla froze in place. "Yes," her flat voice said.

"Young lady, lying is no good," Auntie told her.

"Yes, Auntie," Lyla said clearly.

"Come," said Auntie as she poured us our cups of tea. "Have some tea and relax."

I sat on a modest loveseat and took a cup and saucer. The wares were plain white and study. Lyla took a seat beside me, but she didn't move to take the tea. I sipped at the steaming cup. _Bitter._

"No tea for you?" Mr. Leo asked Lyla after taking a generous sip.

"In a bit," she said and patted her stomach. "Full from lunch."

"So, the puppies," he continued, "you're looking to take one? If you'd like, you can have more."

She laughed. "I'm not sure I could handle that much responsibility! I'd love to have a dog, but I don't know if I can do it."

"Nonsense," said Mr. Leo with a shake of his head.

"Miss Lia," Auntie's voice snapped me out of my concentration on Lyla and Mr. Leo's conversation.

"Yes?" I said sheepishly, feeling embarrassed for having forgotten that she was there at all.

"Even though you come by my shop so often, it's a shame that we don't talk much," she gently spoke with a frown.

"Yes," I returned with the same voice level as her. When in the presence of someone as soft and gentle as Auntie, it was hard to be anything but prim and proper. It even seemed like Lyla was becoming affected by Auntie's mannerisms.

"You're staying with the Elrics, are you not?" she asked me.

I nodded my head.

"Oh, that Alphonse is back, isn't he? Such a sweet boy."

"Yes," I said, not having much to say.

"You're about Lyla's age, aren't you?"

"She's about four years older than me. I'm eighteen."

"Yes, she may be twenty two, but she acts much younger. That girl has such a young spirit."

"I'm not old at all," Lyla interjected. "Besides, acting all old and proper can be quite boring sometimes."

"After taking you in, you still haven't learned much from me," Auntie sighed. "However, you're quite the amazing woman. I can't deny that."

"Thank you, Auntie," Lyla smiled and continued her conversation with Mr. Leo.

"So, Miss Lia, you're quite close to marrying age. You should think seriously about this," Auntie hushed me before I could begin to protest. "Darling, I'm sure you'll find someone if you cultivate yourself to be a proper lady."

I set down the cup and saucer. "Thanks for the concern, but that's not something I'm looking for," I told her nervously. _I haven't even dated, much less thought about marriage._

"Marriage is wonderful," Auntie explained.

_ "She can be a bit old fashioned," _Lyla had warned me earlier. "_Just sit and listen. She means well, but she's got her priorities a bit wonky for this day and age."_

"… and, of course, you must always hold yourself with grace," Auntie said. She demonstrated her idea of proper posture when sitting which included tucking one of your ankles under the other. It was basically the princess posture in _The Princess Diaries_ movie.

I nodded my head and caught a glimpse of Lyla and Mr. Leo cuddling the puppies gently. Lyla squealed happily about how adorable the puppies were. Her reservations of taking responsibility of even one life increased to taking home five puppies. A look of fear crossed her face and she suddenly set down the puppy. She excused herself and left down the hall. _Bathroom?_

"It's not polite to be distracted when someone's talking to you," Auntie scolded me.

"Oh, excuse me. I have to use the restroom as well," I tried to be as polite as I could.

"Very well," she said and sipped at the tea elegantly.

I followed the path Lyla had gone and waited in the hall. The sound of a running sink led me to the first door on the right. Auntie had her hair tied up in a neat bun on the back of her head. Her hair had a silky, wispy quality that was very pretty. Instead of her regular white apron that she wore when working, she had a simple flattering skirt and plain cardigan. The style of the clothing was probably Lyla's since Lyla's clothing was very flattering. _When I grow old, I'd like to be as classy as Auntie, even if she is a bit old fashioned. Reality is always different from fantasy,_ I thought to myself.

Lyla walked out of the bathroom. "Oh, you have to go too?"

"Yeah," I told her.

"How's talking to Auntie?"

"She… likes to talk."

Lyla chuckled. "That's very like her."

"So… um…"

"Oh, yeah, I'll leave you be," she winked at me and left.

I finished my business, taking a breather from Auntie. When I returned, Auntie avidly talked to Lyla about how, when Auntie was Lyla's age, that so many of her friends were already married. Auntie didn't forget to include me in the conversation. Mr. Leo noticed our longing to find a way out of the conversation and brought up his puppies. He let us play a few of the tamer puppies, and even Auntie couldn't resist the puppies. One of the puppies kept on licking me with its small, slightly rough tongue.

Everything was fun. Even Auntie's talk was quite enjoyable. The afternoon sun slanted through the windows brightly, giving the impression of the late afternoon.

"Well, we should go now. Don't you think so, Lia?" said Lyla as she turned to me.

"Yes," I said.

"It was nice having all you lovely ladies here," Mr. Leo grinned. "It cerintaly reminded me of my youth. I was quite the looker back then."

"Lyla, would you be kind enough to walk me home?" Auntie asked.

"Of course, Auntie," Lyla said courteously.

Mr. Leo led us to the door. "I hope you all come again soon."

"I had a wonderful evening. We all did," Auntie said as she looked towards us.

"Yes," Lyla and I said in unison.

"I had a lot of fun," I told him with a smile.

"I'll see you soon, definitely! Take care of Caroline for me," Lyla beamed. With that, Mr. Leo gently closed the door behind us.

"Lia, can you make it home by yourself?" Lyla asked me.

"Yup- Yes," I corrected myself, giving sidelong glance towards Auntie.

"Take care of yourself, Miss Lia. Please take into consideration what I've told you," Auntie told me.

We went our separate ways.

…

The walk back was quiet. I smiled to myself and let out my breath. Energy ran through me and I let it out in song.

"_Wakaranai yo kimi no kokoro ga_ (I can't comprehend your heart),

_Shira wo kitta soburi wa nande? _(Why are you feigning ignorance?)

_MOYAMOYA shita kono kimochi ga hareru koto wa arun'deshou ka? _(Will this gloomy feeling of mine ever leave me?)

_Tokidoki – fuan ga koborete_ (Every now and then – my insecurity would surface)

_DAME da na- mata KIMI no PEESU _(This is not good – I've gotten caught up in your pace again)

_Itsu no ma ni ka – Boku no kimochi made wakaranaku natte shimaisou da_ (Before I knew it – I almost can't even understand my own feelings)"

With a hop and a skip, I bounced along to the beat, moving my body according to my vague recollection of what the dance steps were. _Okay, high note coming up._ Just thinking about it closed my throat.

"_Nami utsu no mune no KOdou ga_ (The pounding of my racing heart)," my voice strained at the high note. _Urgh._ I gave up and slightly hummed the rest of the chorus which had an even more formidable high note later on. I skipped in between walking and spun around, waving my arms. "Lalala." A broad smile on my face accompanied me on the walk back.

As the song died out into humming as I'd forgotten the rest of the lyrics, _I'll have to go and write down what I remember when I get back_, I was closer to the house. A house a bit far off from Winry and Edward's was similar, but with red roofing and different windows. Piles of wood and piping rested against a wall of the house. A bright blue light and lightning like tendrils engulfed the house, and tiny adjustments appeared on the house. _Alchemy!_ It was a weird and amazing sight to see alchemy.

A small figure, most likely Alphonse, walked around the house and bent down. Another blue light engulfed the house, but I couldn't see any adjustments this time. The figure stood up and looked towards the road in my direction. He waved at me. _Definitely Alphonse._ Another figure appeared from behind the house, and I immediately recognized the blonde ponytailed man. _Ed._ I waved both arms in a big gesture.

I continued my walk to Edward and Winry's house and walked into my room to write down the lyrics of "Heart Beats" while humming the tune to myself. As I contemplated the rest of the lyrics, a soft knock came from the door.

"Lia," Winry's voice called.

"Come in," I said from my seat at the desk.

She came in. "I've talked to Ed. If you feel the need to, you can pay us what you can for rent."

"Oh, what a coincidence, I just got my pay today."

"You don't have to pay now," Winry told me. "Or at all."

"No, that's fine. I want to… to show my thanks for all you've done for me. Wait, I've got it," I said as I took my bag and rummaged through for my wallet. I fished out what I had. Making 1,000 cenz an hour, Layla paid me for the past five days where I worked around three hours, so I had 150,000 cenz. I've come to the conclusion that one hundred cenz is equivalent to a dollar. I handed Winry ten 1,000 cenz bills. "I'm sorry. I wish I could give more." I made myself a mental note that today was Sunday.

"No, this is more than enough," Winry reassured me as she took the bills from me.

"Winry, I have a question, and you don't have to answer if you don't feel comfortable."

"Hm, what is it?" said Winry, her interest piqued.

"What did you both think when you first found me?"

She chuckled, "well, it was really weird. We just found you on our porch and, well, you know the rest."

"You guys are really kind to take in a stranger and help me out… most people would be suspicious."

"Well, Ed insisted."

"Ed?" I said, surprised.

"Yeah," Winry said as she leaned against the door sill and looked off into the distance with a smile. "He's not the type to leave someone alone when they're in need of help."

I felt my body shrink into the chair. "Thank you for letting me stay here even though I can function now…" I softly spoke.

She put the bills into her jumpsuit pocket. "It's fine," she said with a warm smile, "Ed and I talked. It'd be difficult for you to sustain yourself completely, for now, and we don't mind the company. Michael and Clara are warming up to you a lot."

_I'm not sure if I want to know the answer but… _"What did you think of me?"

Winry looked at the floor in thought. "We had our reservations, but we could tell that you're not a bad person. If someone is in need, there's nothing to do but help."

"Everybody here is too nice," I frowned. "Back home, nobody I know would do this…"

"Home? Are you remembering?" she questioned me.

_Oh, crap._ "No," I quickly said, "it's just… a vague feeling I have."

"Oh, I see," she said disappointedly. "It must be hard not remembering anything, but you're really strong and handling it well."

_That's because I remember everything._ "It can be hard," my voice wavered, not from the difficulty of remember, but because of homesickness.

"Could you help me with dinner?"

"Of course."

…

"Eat, Michael," Edward sighed as he picked up the fork Michael threw across the table.

"Is Al still at the house?" Winry asked Ed.

"Yeah," he handed Michael the fork. "He'll be back soon." Clara drooled as she finished off her six ounce bottle. For such a bottle so small, it could be a big bother to clean.

"Da-dee," Michael cried.

"Aa," Clara chimed, putting down her bottle.

Edward wiped at her chin with her bib. "Yeah, yeah, daddy," he said, sounding annoyed, but an obvious smile was on his face.

"Should we get Al? I don't want to start without him," Winry said.

We heard the front door open and heavy footsteps come into the house. Alphonse took a seat beside me at the dining table.

"Look who joined us for dinner," Edward grinned.

"Ra," Michael said as he looked at Al, "kitty?"

Alphonse shook his head and ruffled Michael's hair. "Sorry, Michael, Kit's out today, too."

"No kitty," Michael pouted, his brows furrowed. "No kitty!"

"We couldn't start without you," Winry told him.

"You don't have to wait," Alphonse said.

"You know we can't do that," Winry pouted.

Michael looked at his applesauce unhappily and violently scooped up a spoonful. He aimed for his mouth, but clipped the corner of his mouth. "Bitty."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Whew! This is one of my longer chapters.

Sorry for the irregular updates! Summer school has just reared its head much more seriously than before, and I'm a bit behind on my work. As a result, my muse is constantly in hiding. Boo. I'm extremely excited for this story, but, perhaps, in a way that you wouldn't suspect?

If you're wondering, Lia's appearance in Amestris will be explained further _fuuuurther_ down the road in a sequel story. (This is why I'm excited, and I know I'm getting ahead of myself. _Argh!_) So it's not just a convenient plot device for this type of story.

For those curious, the song is Heart Beats composed by emon(Tes.) sung by the vocaloid Megurine Luka. It's a catchy song! I've been listening to it so much recently.

…

As always, thank you all for reading! I'm really grateful that you're taking time out of your day to read my story. Please feel free to comment, critique, give feedback, etc. I super appreciated them!

* * *

**Responses:**

**Christmasloot**: I pronounce Lyla's (or Lyra, if you prefer) name as Lie-la. Hehe, I like to think that Ed and Winry are just super nice people ;u; The people of FMA can be quite kind, aren't they? Because of your comment, it did give me an idea for this chapter. Thank you for your input! While I agree that they do get along, it's a bit different from having a friendship and such. I hope this gives you a bit more insight to my line of thinking for this story. If you have any more questions or comments, please do comment! *^* For the Russell thing, it will be a surprise! Certainly, most people have figured the direction I'm going towards, but things don't always turn out as we hope, do they? – Thanks for reading and commenting! I definitely felt more pumped up to write even though I've gotten a bit busy.

**RoseblossomWarrior**: Oh, that's a relief that you think there is good banter! It'll definitely continue in this sort of fashion due to my writing skills at the moment and how the story is unraveling. Weird love triangles are the best. (Well, I like weirdly shaped shapes in general.) Thank you for your encouraging comment as always! :3 I've been making my way through Insomniacs myself in my spare time. (I'm not the type to comment until I've made it to the most recent chapter.) I'm loving it. Keep up your good work as well!


	10. I am One, the World is-

**Chapter 10: I am One, the World is…**

The setting sun cast the sky ablaze with the vivid colors of a fire. The wonderful painting of blurred pastels had patches of intense reds and oranges stretching far across the bright expanse. I felt the grass on the ground. It was cool, and I was torn on whether or not the grass was cool or damp. Not wanting to find another spot to sit, I took a risk and sat. It didn't feel wet, but I guess I'd find out later. A soft groan escaped my lips. Sometimes the tendency to overeat when faced with a delicious meal was a temptation too great for me to overcome, so overeat I did.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and stared at the sky. It was almost as if each color were fiercely fighting for dominance. Alphonse and Edward stayed in the living room to talk about their research and watch over the children; Winry, her workroom. She was working on some new model of some sort and trying out new alloys. My stomach ached slightly. Being with other people made it easier to forget and ignore what I wanted to ignore.

The sky seemed so vast and expansive; I could feel my existence being dwarfed dramatically. It reminded me of my nights back home. Through a screen window, I'd look out into a semi-starlit sky and feel hopeful for my future; however, the sky no longer made me feel hopeful. It's not as if I've never thought about the connection all living beings have before, but it didn't feel profound. _Is that the right answer?_ A sick feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. _I'm another person in a line of others, a face in a crowd of faces. Or I was._ In the grand scheme of things, we're all connected, and we all don't matter. Well, that was incorrect. We're all insignificant, _but some more insignificant than others. _I wrapped my arms around myself.

I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I was glad that I didn't have to attend school anymore. I didn't have to worry about clubs, internships, volunteering, getting work experience, and everything else that it seemed like I needed to do to have a "successful" life. I didn't feel like I could do any of that, not the way others seemed to effortlessly do it. But I knew I was being a coward, making excuses. Even though I was sad about my family, I was relieved that I could run away from my responsibilities. In the end, that relief trumped over my homesickness. _Nice priorities there…_ Acting sad about not being with my family, yet being happy here? What horrible person would do that? _I would. _The bright sky mocked me.

I knew how I should feel, but I didn't feel that way. Everything felt real and surreal. A dream and reality that I couldn't pick apart made living easier. Thoughts of disappearing, never going back, snuck into my mind throughout my life. _Coward._ Here I was, dreaming as I always wanted. I thought about my drawings… the fading faces of my family, the fading memories of my past with everybody… _I miss them. _Pain shot up my arms as I released my shaking hands from my arms. Imprints of nails embedded in my skin burned with a slight, raw pink. Tears spilled out. Was I sad? Was I happy? What was I feeling? What kind of person _was_ I?

"Why?" I cried. I didn't care anymore. The sudden feelings overwhelmed me.

Was I relieved? Can I be all of these things at once? How could I be _happy_? I won't see my family again. My heart numbed. My mind blanked. Only a primal feeling remained – sadness. A furious shaking overtook me as I succumbed to the feeling. Wracking with sobs, I tasted the salt of my tears. An ugly contorted face, silent, revealed my true state. Nothing was left but an emptiness within that seemed endless. A black anger mixed with the sadness. Guilt rose in my throat. I violently clawed at the ground and let out a silent scream. "Why?" Dirt stuck underneath my nails. I covered my eyes with my hands. A vivid feeling of hate filled the emptiness. I hated the sky, so full of color. I hated the earth, full of life. I hated myself for self pity.

I cried. I cried until there was nothing left. I cried until my tears dried and more tears came. Finally, it was over. The sky was a hazy purple and blue with tiny stars twinkling shyly in the distance. I bit my lip in frustration and sniffled, wiping at my nose with the back of my sleeve. _Emotions aren't rational, and I always was the emotional one._ It was something that everybody told me I needed to work on. I chuckled to myself. I'd been prideful of the fact that I rarely cried, yet I cried a lot more than I'd liked to have remembered. People were always kind enough to remind me. I wasn't nearly as tough as I'd thought, and I disliked myself for it. _But if I met someone like me, I'd tell them not to be so hard on themselves. Ha, hypocritical._ I sighed heavily and sat alone.

"Lia?" Winry's voice called from behind me. I jumped.

Conscious of my appearance, I looked over my shoulder quickly and turned away from her. "Ye-yeah?" I choked out, my throat sticky.

"Oh," she said in surprise, seeing my face post-moment. "You were out for so long, and I wanted to check on you."

"Sorry, Winry," I hiccupped, "I'd like to be alone."

"Okay," she said softly. She hesitated for a moment. "I know we don't know each other very well, but I want you to know that you don't have to carry your burdens alone." _Like Ed and Al did?_

I nodded my head, my back still facing her. "Thank you," I tried to be polite. I heard her footsteps retreat and looked at my hands. My nails were caked with dirt, and my hands had a generous dusting of the stuff. _ Look at me. I'm a mess, and I haven't even gotten through anything as bad as Ed and Al. But I guess it's not fair for me to compare myself to other people like that…_ I sighed heavily once more. I rubbed my hands together vigorously and managed to get some of the dirt off.

I trudged upstairs and did my best to avoid being seen by anybody. Edward and Alphonse were engrossed in their discussion. The children weren't in sight, so they must've been with Winry. After a hot shower, I lied in bed while clutching my blanket. I held up the blanket to the window, and the remaining light in the sky revealed the patterns of mice.

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**Author's Note:** I am so sorry for this chapter (for length and content). (I'm feeling extremely apprehensive about this chapter.) I hope this didn't come off too… unbearable to read. I hope that my portrayal of emotion was okay, but this portion probably popped up out of nowhere and probably seems pretty odd. I felt that I didn't explore her emotions enough regarding her experience, so I thought it might be appropriate here.

Question out there: How do you all feel about Lia's character?

As always, I encourage you all to comment, critique, give feedback, etc. It is very much appreciated!

* * *

**Responses:**

**Prisma Honeydew**: Thank you for your comment! I'm very happy and grateful for your words, so I hope that you don't think of your response as generic. It means very much to me. I hope you'll still think so even after this chapter!

**RoseblossomWarrior:**Old-fashioned types can be a bit stuffy, can't they? Ed doesn't have his alchemy since he's lost that. He was helping out with details of the house and to bounce ideas off of. I imagine Ed would feel pretty lost without it, but he would cope and continue with his two legs.

**YumeNina:** Thank you for the comment! I think it's interesting the way you feel about my story. As an author, it's so hard to view it from a reader's perspective sometimes! I feel really flattered that you spent so much time reading it.

**Christmasloot: **I sincerely hope that you will continue enjoying my story!

**SpenstarianCreed1**: Thanks for the notifications! 1) If you're referring to the sing-talking conversation, I actually do this a bit with my friends. It's quite fun, but we're also odd people. If you're referring to the Japanese singing and English, the English is in quotations for translation's sake. As for point 2, I never noticed while I was writing that! That's very good for me to know. I'll try to find a better balance next time!


	11. A Full Day

**Chapter 11: A Full Day**

I woke up and went to the bathroom. In the mirror was the reflection of my slightly puffy eyes and tired looking face. My foggy mind didn't register my appearance immediately, but it wasn't pleasant when I did. I thought about my emotional moment yesterday and felt slightly stupid. Sorting through emotions and their reasons wasn't something that I was used to. It was somewhat of a painful experience to see the ugly side of myself that I didn't want to face. I brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, and changed before going downstairs to breakfast.

"Good morning, Lia," Winry greeted me as she set a bowl of yogurt and fruit before me.

"Good morning," I mumbled. "Thank you for breakfast.

"You're welcome. Didn't sleep well?" asked Winry as she went back for utensils.

"Not really," I said as I sat down, grateful for her tact with not addressing what she saw yesterday. It wasn't something that I wanted to think about. Michael and Clara sat in their high chairs with Edward and Alphonse nowhere in sight. "Where's everybody?"

"Ed and Al are still sleeping from staying up all night," she told me. "Since they took care of Michael and Clara yesterday, I've got them for the day."

"It must be hard balancing being a parent and working."

"It can be," she smiled and handed me a fork, "but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love them so much." She smiled at Michael and Clara. "I wonder if this is how Mom and dad felt when I was born…" she whispered under her breath. Winry picked Clara out of her high chair and began feeding Clara her bottle.

I took a spoonful of yogurt and a slice of a strawberry. The cold tart and sweet flavors made me realize how hungry I was. "You aren't eating?"

"I ate earlier," Winry told me. "I've been up for hours. This girl over here woke me up," Winry said gleefully and kissed the top of Clara's head."

Michael looked curiously at his sister, but quickly switched his attention to a wooden bird toy. He flew it high above his head while blowing raspberries with his mouth. Lines of drool flowed from his mouth down his chin. He smashed down his toy carelessly onto the table, and the toy fell from his grasp to the floor. I picked up the toy, but not without injury as I bumped my head on the edge of the table when returning to my seat. One should never underestimate the distance from ones head and the height of a table. Michael looked at me with disinterested eyes before reaching his hand out. I held out the toy, and completely misunderstood what he was after. With a swift yank, he pulled at a lock of my hair.

"Ouch," I gasped. I set the toy on the table and quickly pulled my hair from his hand, "don't pull people's hair, Michael."

"Michael, don't pull her hair," Winry scolded him as he went to pick up his wooden bird once more. "Sorry about that," said Winry. "He's been doing that much more recently. I'm surprised he hasn't already pulled your hair."

"It's no problem," I reassured her. "My baby brother did that to me sometimes, too, but Michael definitely has a stronger grip." I rubbed the roots of my hair while remembering the dull aches and pain that came with hair pulling.

"Baby brother?" Winry asked nonchalantly, continuing to feed Clara.

_Did I say too much?_ "Yeah," I said and looked back at my bowl of yogurt. Clara's high chair caught my notice. I realized that it was more of a bassinet than a normal high chair. As a young infant, not having much motor skills, she needed more support. I watched as Clara's head lolled around on Winry's arms.

Clara moved her face away from the bottle when Winry tried to feed her more. "Don't eating already?" Winry asked her coolly. Winry set down the bottle and proceeded to burp Clara. A slight rumbling noise came from Clara as she threw up. Winry sighed, "Second time today. Lia, could you watch Michael? I'll be back."

"Sure," I said after swallowing my bite.

"Thanks," Winry said in relief and left.

In a short moment, Winry came back in a fresh shirt and Clara in her arms. "Thanks. Will you be okay eating by yourself?" Winry asked, somewhat preoccupied by Clara who was beginning to writhe and moan.

"Of course," I said while nodding my head.

"Want to play, Michael?" Winry asked.

"Ya!" Michael exclaimed.

"Could pick him off the high chair for me?" Winry asked me

Mouth full of yogurt, I mumbled an "mm". I went to Michael's high chair and put my hands under his armpits. With a slight heave, I picked him up. He dangled momentarily before I set him down on the floor where he promptly rushed to Winry with open arms.

"Thanks. Oh, before I forget, you're free tomorrow, right?" asked Winry.

"Yes, I don't have work so I'll free," I told her. "If it's about laundry, I can do it in the morning and dry them for the day."

"That would be wonderful," she said, fatigue evident in her voice.

"If you need help, I can babysit this afternoon," I offered.

She paused and contemplated my offer. "I'm sure I'll be fine," she waved me off.

"Play," Michael said as he tugged at Winry's pants.

"Okay, okay, let's play, Michael," Winry chuckled.

"Have fun Michael," I smiled.

Winry went down the hall, Michael trailing her. I finished my yogurt and fruit and washed them in the sink.

…

"Sewing is in my blood," Lyla bragged. "It's like breathing for me."

"If it's in your blood, then why do I have to learn how to sew? Isn't that your job?" I inquired from the cashier's countertop.

Lyla pulled a stool from the backroom to the counter. A large box of fabrics and various sewing equipment was spread across the surface of the counter. She flipped a basic sewing manual to the first chapter and quickly read over it.

"Alright, if you read this, I'm sure you'll figure it out on your own," she mumbled to me.

"That sounds hard," I protested, "and you ignored my question."

"To answer your question, it's because I'm your boss and you have to do what I say," she said delightedly, placing her arms on her hips. "If you need help, just ask me."

"And what will you be doing?"

"_I'll_ be working hard, too."

"You work hard?"

She tapped my forehead with a finger. "You know I do. Now get to reading. I'm not paying you to sit around and do nothing."

"Yes, Master," I said jokingly.

A smile spread across her face. "Master? I like the sound of that."

"Regrets. I have many regrets."

"Don't let 'not learning to sew' be one of them!"

I looked at the thick manual. Lyla, pen in hand, began sketching a new design on a large drawing pad. Elegant lines appeared on the page. A design came to life that seemed to come with little effort. Lyla made her concentration face, brows furrowed and chewed nervously at her lip. Seeing her work so hard, thoughts of being lazy and pretending to read quickly dispersed. I couldn't take advantage of her kindness; after all, she had done much for me, and I _was_ at work. I looked at the crinkled page that shown signs of wear and tear. The heavy book made me miss technology.

_Introduction to Sewing_

_ If you've ever said to yourself "I can't sew", "I don't have time", "I'm not creative enough", or anything like that, don't be discouraged! Sewing, like all other skills in life, is something that's learned. _ The book was much easier to read and understand than the alchemy book Edward had given me. For that, I was thankful. _A few basic tools that you'd need are shears, seam ripper, thread, bobbins, straight pins, a sewing machine, and, of course, fabric._ Diagrams and pictures showed what the materials would look like. I thought of the sewing machine in the backroom. Instead of being powered by electricity, it was a large black, wrought iron contraption that operated when pushing on a pedal on the floor. How Lyla could control it, I had no idea.

An hour passed. My mind grew hazy as I flipped the page. The material was somewhat interesting, but the words were packed onto the page in dense blocks that were hard to read. Lyla sighed and crossed out whatever she had drawn on the page. She turned to a fresh page and began scrawling some notes. I looked out the window to see an empty street. Kit lumbered into my line of sight. He jumped up onto a wooden pillar and climbed to the roof. With little time wasted, he found the highest spot and sat with his tail waving idly.

A small tinkling of a bell alerted Lyla. Her head perked up. A well dressed couple came into the shop. They seemed out of place in the modest town of Resembool. Lyla put down her pencil, closed her notepad, and stood up."Welcome," she greeted them, seeming almost as surprised as I was of the new guests. She nudged me.

"Welcome to Lyla's Clothing," I rushed through the sentence, sitting up straight.

"How may we help you?" Lyla asked.

"Hello," the woman said in a high voice.

"I'm looking for a dress for my wife," the man mumbled through his thick, grey moustache. "Isn't that right, Mrs. Wellington?"

"Yes," Mrs. Wellington said in a dignified manner.

"Of course," Lyla said politely, "For what occasion are you dressing?"

"I shall be attending a dinner party," Mrs. Wellington frowned, looking around at the shop with its bare, wooden walls, shelves, and rack.

"Yes, and we'd like to find something most fitting," Mr. Wellington's moustache moved whenever he spoke. It was pretty amusing. He looked at me briefly, and I turned my head to the book.

"Please follow me," Lyla kept her happy tone and led them to the back of the store.

After much deliberation and disappointment, the couple began to discuss amongst themselves. "Well, we very much like your clothing," Mrs. Wellington spoke with a slight smile. "However, there doesn't seem to be anything that fits me. Would it be possible for you to make something for me?"

Lyla beamed with joy. "Yes! That is absolutely possible!"

"Very good," Mr. Wellington huffed.

Lyla hurriedly took her pencil and notepad from the counter and went over to them. She offered them a seat on the bench in the front of the store. They sat, backs straight, on the bench, before discussing with her what they'd like in the design. She listened carefully and took many notes. Mr. and Mrs. Wellington didn't seem to agree on many things, but Mrs. Wellington's opinion was final in the matter. Lyla brought to them many swatches of fabric from dainty silk to simple wool. Mrs. Wellington was slightly disappointed with the small selection, but made her choice of color and fabric. All the while, Lyla was making conversation with them.

With her jovial personality, Mr. and Mrs. Wellington happily shared their tale. They had been traveling far and would be travelling further to another country, left unspecified in their story, and were in desperate need of new attire for Mrs. Wellington. (Mr. Wellington corrected that Mrs. Wellington had no desperate need for new attire, but rather, she had a great desire to purchase new attire.) Unable to find any store or clothing that suited her taste in Central and tired of dealing with those stores, she decided to take the chance and go to small towns along the way. So here they were, leisurely spending their time to enjoy small towns and villages. Mrs. Wellington insisted on coming to Resembool, a town that produced great quality wool. I listened to the story, but mostly remained useless to the whole debacle. Leaving after having Mrs. Wellington's measurements taken, they bid us farewell.

Lyla walked to her stool back at the counter and slumped into her chair. "That was nerve wracking," she let out in one long breath.

"You didn't seem nervous at all," I told her.

"Really?" she sighed. "That's good. I thought I would faint."

"I'm a bit surprised… you don't seem like the nervous type."

"No? I guess so," she leaned against the countertop. "Well, no time to dwell. I need to start working now if I want it finished in two days time."

"Two days? But isn't that a bit…"

"I know, but I did say that I would finish it in two days time. They've got to go the day after tomorrow, and I have to work now."

"Will you finish on time?"

"If I start now, I can make it. Especially if I don't sleep," she mumbled while looking at the design. I peered over her shoulder and saw the design of a flowing dress, elegant and fit for a woman of carriage such as Mrs. Wellington. As dignified as she was, I did find her a bit pretentious; however, Lyla's bright personality made them much more personable and friendly.

"Do you need me to do-"

"Shh," Lyla quieted me. "No. Just focus on your book and stay out here. I need to work." She took one more glance over her design and left with the box of fabric and sewing materials. A view of pale and deep blue fabrics of chiffon and satin rolling onto the floor could be seen in the backroom door from my seat.

…

"Lyla, it's lunch time," I reminded her. As someone who was an enthusiastic lover of eating meals, Lyla was so engrossed in her work that she completely forgot.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Do you want me to get anything?"

"No time to eat."

"I'll get you the usual."

She mumbled another "okay". I took money from the cash register enough for some croquettes and a glass of milk. Indeed, I'd gone to buy this with her enough that I knew the price by heart, 850 cenz. I turned the sign by the window to show that the shop was closed and, as I walked out of Lyla's shop, Kit watched me from above, not having moved from his napping spot. An uneventful walk was laid before me, so a pit stop couldn't hurt, could it? Thoughtless, I let my legs carry me to a familiar destination. I paused at the door for a moment. After gathering my bearings, I pushed open the door.

"Hi," I said confidently.

"Hello, Lia," Fletcher greeted me, his head poking out from behind a shelf.

"Slow day?" asked Fletcher.

I walked over to his aisle, "Yes." Fletcher was taking the shoes off the shelves. "What are you doing?" I asked him.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said brightly. "I'm just rearranging the store a bit. Russell wants more space for his work area."

"Oh, but doesn't his work table already basically take up half the store?"

"He likes his space," Fletcher chuckled. "So what are you up to?"

"Just taking a detour before I buy Lyla her lunch."

"You're here again?" Russell's disembodied voice said.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" I turned around and asked him.

"Not really," he said passively. Mildly surprised, I expected a harsher answer something akin to "You're scaring off potential customers". He leaned against the shelf with his arms crossed.

"Taking a break, Brother?" Fletcher asked Russell. Fletcher continued taking boxes off the shelf and contemplated the layout of the room.

"Couldn't hurt," he smirked.

"You're not going to tell Lia to get out?" inquired Fletcher.

"No," Russell said coolly.

"Really?" Fletcher spoke with disbelief. "Does that mean tha-"

"I was thinking that I'd accompany Lia to buy Lyla's lunch. Obviously, Lyla's bad influence on Lia has turned her into some delinquent. Being with someone like me could only help her," Russell said arrogantly. I tried to hide my laughter at his seriousness. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I said. My cheeks were beginning to hurt from the wide smile.

Russell looked doubtful. "No use standing around here. What are you getting her? Croquettes and milk?"

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Lyla's taken him enough times when we were younger," Fletcher informed me. He pulled another box from the shelf.

"Typical," Russell muttered under his breath. "Anyway, take care of the shop while I'm gone, Fletcher."

"Alright, Brother, have fun, but you'll have to help me move the shelves when you come back," Fletcher told Russell. Fletcher turned back to the boxes and began moving them to any free space on the floor.

Russell held the door open for me and let me go through first.

"What a gentleman," I noted.

"Am I anything but?" he said haughtily.

He accompanied me to Aunties and the grocer's store. Having only brought enough to buy Lyla's lunch, I didn't buy anything for myself. Russell brashly bought sweet apple croquettes, which tasted like wonderful fried apple pies, and gave me one. Being Russell, he wouldn't take my "no" for a final answer. Eventually, I caved to my hunger and temptation of the croquette that I took it. A bag of croquettes in my left hand, an apple croquette in my right, I pocketed the remaining coins for the milk. I tried to strike up a conversation about shoemaking, but he answered plainly about how he had to learn since it was the family business. We entered the cooler store of the grocer's which had an older model of an air conditioner. Air conditioners and large fridges were pretty expensive, Winry told me, but were necessary to preserve produce. For a small town, it was a bit difficult to afford those kinds of machines. I bought Lyla's milk, and we walked back to Lyla's. I hoped that she wouldn't mind the wait with my detour and all...

"Is something wrong, Russell?" I asked. It was odd how pleasant Russell was, despite his remark of my becoming a delinquent.

"No. Why do you say that?" Russell said as he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets.

"You're so… nice today."

"What? I'm always nice," he scoffed.

"Did I thank you for the croquette?"

"Yes, but thanking me again couldn't hurt."

"Then thank you, again," I said. We reached the front door of Lyla's shop, and Russell opened the door for me once again. I thanked him and went inside. Instead of saying goodbye, he went inside after me. I looked at him questioningly.

"Drat, not again," Lyla sighed. Russell strode into the backroom without hesitation. Curious, I followed after.

"Hello, Lyla," said Russell, slightly smug.

Lyla looked at the table in search of something. "Lia, why is he here?"

"I'm not sure," I told her and set the cool glass of milk and slightly lukewarm croquettes on a bare spot on the table. "Here's your milk and croquettes."

"Thanks. I don't have time for you right now, Russell," Lyla tried to wave him off. "Shoo." Her tone was no longer lighthearted. She picked up a spool of sky blue thread and began threading it through a needle which she inserted into the sewing machine.

"That's how I always feel," Russell muttered.

Lyla stood up and gently nudged us towards the door, all the while telling us to leave. "Okay, goodbye Russell," she said, her mind clearly elsewhere, "Thanks again, Lia. I'll see you Monday." With finality, she closed the door behind us.

"That was a lot less fun than I thought it'd be," Russell sighed.

"Is that why you left the store to Fletcher? To bother Lyla?" I asked him.

"Sort of."

"I could say her delinquency is getting to you too."

He went over to the stool Lyla occupied earlier at the countertop. He rested an elbow on the counter. "What's with her today?"

"Big project for her client," I said as I took a seat beside him, "they seemed rich. Shouldn't you get back to Fletcher? I really don't think that he can move those shelves by himself."

"I guess," he shrugged.

I checked the sign at the window, double checking to see if it indicated that the store was closed. "I don't have anything to do. Do you need help?" I asked hopefully. Time seemed to move slowly in the countryside. It was refreshing that there was no technology, but I did miss the fact that it gave me something to do in my spare time. I looked at Russell's profile as I thought about how those empty moments filled me with mixed emotions.

"You don't need to do that," he said, looking forward, "we can handle it."

I pushed away the thoughts I tried to ignore. "I don't mind."

He looked towards my direction, but it took me a moment to realize that he was looking through the window. "That's Alphonse's cat, isn't it?" Without waiting for a response, he left to go outside.

Kit sat in the shade of the awning of the opposite shop. Russell slowly approached Kit then crouched by the cat. Russell stuck out a hand and began motion with his hand for the cat to come over. Kit sauntered over to Russell. Kit's tail lazily waved in the air as Russell pet his head. The moment I stepped out of the shop, Kit hissed and skittered away. We watched as the ball of grey fur leapt down the street and disappear as it took a left. Russell made a comment on my lack of affinity towards cats.

The afternoon was spent leisurely at Russell's shop. Rather, it was spent as leisurely as one could while moving heavy shelves. Russell wouldn't let me help with any of the heavy lifting and left me to moving shoe boxes out of the way. It was tedious work, but he wasn't without reason. The first shelf I'd try to help move nearly toppled on top of Fletcher. I always forgot to lift with my legs anyways, so it was probably for the best. Eventually, I resorted to sitting and watching them move the shelving. To the left and right of me were shoe boxes sorted by size, type, color. It was pretty amazing how someone could make so many shoes at all. After a while, I began getting bored. I felt a bit rude wanting to leave, but I wasn't of any help just sitting around. I decided to leave and bid them goodbye. Busy with figuring the layout of the store, Russell gave me a halfhearted goodbye; Fletcher, a more spirited goodbye. I traced my steps back through the paths of the town.

The walk back was relatively quiet save for the flocks of sheep, occasional birds, and the river as I approached it. The landscape was bathed in a warm glow from the sun, the sole provider of warmth in the chilly season. At the bridge, I stood atop the stone railing once more and walked across with my arms held out at my side. Water rushed quickly beneath the bridge. I carefully sat down onto the rail and dangled my legs over the river. _I wonder how far the bottom of the river is from up here._ Sunlight glinted off of the rippling surface of the water, reminding me of the ocean. Back home, by the coast, there were many beaches to visit, if not pools and lakes. I briefly entertained the thought of seeing the ocean once more. With a sigh, I left the river and continued back to the Elric household.

…

In the living room, Winry lied sleeping on the couch with Clara on her stomach. Edward sat on the other sofa with Michael on his lap, both sleeping as well. I could hear a soft snoring coming from Edward. As I walked further into the house, I saw Alphonse sitting at the dining table with papers spread all over it. I recognized alchemy circles, but there seemed to be some other type of alchemy as well. The pentagrams and pictures of using weapons and such accompanied each other. A seal, a stylized picture of a dragon, in red ink was on the bottom left pages with the strange alchemy. It took me a moment to realize that it might be alkahestry. It felt a bit creepy to just stand and look over Alphonse's shoulder.

"Ed?" Alphonse asked as he turned towards me. "Oh, Lia."

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" I apologized.

He smiled kindly. "Not at all. I thought you were Ed," he sighed and turned back to his papers. "I'm having some trouble figuring out how to incorporate these two theories together. You don't have to stand there. Have a seat. Is he still sleeping?"

I walked around the table and sat opposite him. "Yeah, they're all sleeping."

"They must be tired from playing all day," he chuckled to himself quietly.

"Oh," I said softly, not wanting to make too much noise. "I see."

"Have you made any progress on what I've told you?" he asked me.

"A little," I said while looking down at his papers. "I'm not sure if what I'm thinking of is right, though..."

"I'd like to hear what you think," he encouraged me.

I cleared my throat. "Well, um…" I started becoming a bit nervous, not wanting to make a fool of myself. "I think that… everybody and everything is connected to each other. The connection of everything is what makes up the world. The world exists because of all the things, living or not, that make it up," I said timidly, realizing I was redundant, as I continued to stare at the table. "I think that's what it means by "One is All, and All is One", if that makes any sense…"

"That's certainly one way to approach it," he said.

"Was I wrong?"

"No, you're not, exactly. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"How?" I said and paused for a moment. "It's something I've thought about before…" _after watching the show._ I glanced out the window of the dining room. "Sometimes the world feels so big, almost as if all my problems don't matter." _Though that sometimes makes me feel worse. _"In the end, we're all people… sometimes I think that if people realized this more often, there would be less suffering, but that's a bit naïve and idealistic."

"I think that's a really nice thought," he smiled. I felt grateful that he was being so considerate. "So I take it you understand what that means, right?" I nodded my head. "Good. Now we can move on." Alphonse began cleaning up the papers on the table and piling them into neat stacks.

"Should I take notes?" I inquired.

"I think it could be really helpful."

"Could you wait a moment, then?" I asked him.

He nodded, and, as quickly and safely as I could, I retrieved my notebook. Alphonse wrote a note at the top of a page with the dragon seal as I took my seat across from him once more. I folded a couple of pages to serve as some bookmark and turned to a fresh page. Alphonse looked up at me after finishing his note.

"Hm, where to begin," Alphonse thought to himself. _Alchemy must be second nature that it must be hard to explain it from the ground up_, I thought.

"The general rule for alchemy is Equivalent Exchange - to gain something, one must give up something of equal value, and, to put it simply, you could say that alchemy is the circulation of energy to perform transmutations. A transmutation is a conversion of materials into another form, and transmutation circles are used to help circulate and use energy to transmute," Alphonse said and waited for me to finish writing things down. When I'd finish moving my pen, he continued. "The process of transmuting can be broken up into three steps - comprehension, deconstruction, and recreation. Is that clear?"

"Yes," I said, barely above a whisper.

"If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. While it may sound simple, it's actually quite complex," Alphonse said, his voice becoming more passionate. He took out a piece of chalk from his coat pocket and began drawing on the table. "With the knowledge of the substances you're transmuting, you're able to use energy to break down the structure of that substance and direct that energy to manipulate and shape the substance. That's a really simple explanation for it though. It might be a bit confusing, so here's an example of alchemy." There was a main, large circle with another circle inside of it, and two concentric squares house within the main, large circle drawn in chalk on the table. _I always wondered how they drew these designs without using a protractor or ruler._ "This is a basic transmutation circle."

He put his hands on the edges of the circle. A bright, electric blue light pulsed in the lines of the circle for an instantaneous moment as a wooden cat was formed from in the middle of the circle. I noticed that at the edges of the wood around the cat toy was caved inwards. The cat figure itself was quite small. Alphonse picked up the cat toy and ran his fingers over the dip on the surface of the table.

"The transmutation circle was drawn specifically for the reformation of matter," Alphonse said as he gestured to the model figure. "Understanding chemistry and the properties of substances is key to deconstruction and recreation. Due to the law of natural providence, you can only create something with the same properties of the material you transmute. Am I making sense? I'm kind of going all over the place," Alphonse said apologetically. He erased the chalk circle with his hand and set the cat figure down. "I should probably fix the table before Winry and Ed see this." He clapped his hands together and set his hands down once more. The cat figure seemed to melt back into the table, and the surface of the table was smooth once more.

I looked at my notes and saw a mess of bullet points and arrows. "I think you're explaining everything very clearly."

Alphonse leaned back into his chair. "I don't think Brother has any basic alchemy books, but I should check. There should be something that'll be helpful to you."

"No, it's fine. I think you're doing a very good job," I attempted to reassure him.

"Thank you," he smiled, "but I'll try to find something to help you."

Alphonse backtracked and tried to explain all the aspects of alchemy once more with more detail. He went in depth in the laws of Equivalent Exchange, but noted that even though Equivalent Exchange is a law for alchemy, that it was a personal belief to give more than you receive. He continued on to explain the importance of comprehension, deconstruction, and recreation and to what extent one needed to know chemistry and physics (which was quite a bit). This all took quite a while, and my confidence in learning how to actually do alchemy was dwindling. There seemed to be a lot of thinking needed to do it, but I shouldn't have underestimated it. Edward was considered a genius after all, and some people never are able to understand alchemy.

"This is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be," I muttered under my breath.

"If you understood everything so easily, I would be surprised. Most people spend many years studying alchemy before they become proficient," Alphonse told me.

"What about you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Brother understood it before I did. I think he's a bit better at it than I am. Many people considered him a genius for being the youngest person to pass the State Alchemist exam, even though they did mistake me for him," Alphonse stated morosely. "We did study together for a few years, but understanding it at that age was rare. I think I was almost nine when we first transmuted something."

"Nine!" I exclaimed.

"It was mostly Ed, though," Alphonse said, humbling himself. "They didn't call him a prodigy for no reason, but I wasn't so bad with it myself."

"More alchemy?" Winry's voice came from the living room entrance. She rubbed her eyes, Clara in her right arm. "Not you, too, Lia. Ah, I need to get started on dinner," Winry yawned.

"Would you like help, Winry?" Alphonse asked her.

"Could you take Clara and Michael? Wake up Ed, too. He's still sleeping," Winry told him.

"Sure," he said.

Alphonse took his papers in one hand and picked up Clara in the other. Winry sleepily walked into the kitchen, nearly bumping into the wall.

...

Dinner was a generous meal of hearty stew and delicious bread. Edward discussed with Alphonse about a theory he had until Winry nearly knocked him out for talking about alchemy at the dinner table. Edward fed Clara while Michael drank the bottle on his own. Winry would sometimes spoon feed Michael bits of softened carrots and stew. Edward shared that he was thinking of writing a book of advanced alchemy. Winry was a bit skeptical of the idea, but said that she would support him. As Edward and Winry were discussing his book, I asked Alphonse if he could teach me more about alchemy the next day. Alphonse said that he would be glad to, but it would need to be in the afternoon. The progress on the house was a bit slower than expected. There was the issue of plumbing, electricity, and furniture.

After dinner, we all parted ways. Winry put Clara and Michael to sleep and went to bed herself not long after the fact. Edward and Alphonse left to the study to discuss the theory Edward couldn't discuss at the dinner table. As for me, I went up to my room. I thought about all the events that happened in my day as I lied in bed. Lyla had a new project, Russell was being Russell, and I learned a bit of alchemy. It was strange how a day could feel so long and short at the same time.

I reviewed what Alphonse had taught me today as I brushed my teeth and changed for bed. Who knew that learning alchemy could be such a daunting task?

* * *

**Author's Note:** I tried to fit in more Alphonse this chapter, but I'm not sure I gave him enough screen time. Bah, humbug. I hope you'll excuse any egregious spelling and grammar errors (point them out to me!). I'm not the best self-editor.

Thank you to those who reviewed since my last update: Prisma Honeydew and Christmasloot.

Please feel free to comment, critique, and leave feedback as they're very much appreciated!


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